Alvaro Arbeloa says he was surprised to hear Real Madrid were at "rock bottom" and insisted the club will only get better next season after their trophy drought continued.
Madrid's 2-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday meant that the Blaugrana secured their second consecutive LaLiga title.
Los Blancos have not won a domestic trophy in each of the last two seasons, but a win over Real Oviedo on Thursday would confirm a second-place finish.
Madrid, and Arbeloa, have come under increasing pressure after winning just two of their last six matches, but the Spaniard insisted the team are not in a bad place despite the noise surrounding the club.
"I find it surprising to hear that we've hit rock bottom. What have other clubs hit? We haven't gone 50 years without winning anything," Arbeloa said when asked if they had hit rock bottom.
"If Real Madrid is where it is, it's because of the high standards. I wouldn't dare say that Real Madrid won't win anything next season.
"Real Madrid has been doing things well for some time now; it's very well managed, and it has great players. In the summer, the necessary analysis will be done to improve.
"They'll have a stronger squad, knowing that this is a sport and that no club wins the Champions League or LaLiga every year."
Final training session before hosting Oviedo! pic.twitter.com/3O7MKTHc40
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) May 13, 2026
"I've always said that Real Madrid is stronger when we're together. That's been the case throughout our history and on great nights.
"In difficult times, we must stand together like a family. We always come back. The pressure is very high. Losing hurts a lot more than at any other club. I'm counting on the fans' support."
Oviedo's relegation from LaLiga was confirmed at the weekend after a 0-0 draw with Getafe left them 10 points behind Espanyol with three games to play.
They are winless in four league matches (D2 L2), which could present the perfect opportunity for Madrid to get back on track, especially with speculation around Arbeloa's future, with Jose Mourinho reportedly the favourite to step back into the Santiago Bernabeu dugout.
"I understand all the questions about my future and Real Madrid's," Arbeloa added. "I hope you can respect my decision to focus on [the Oviedo] match, then Sevilla, and then Athletic Bilbao.
"When the league season is over, I'll be able to answer questions about my future."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Madrid – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold created four chances in his last LaLiga match against Barcelona, equalling his highest tally in a single game for Madrid in all competitions (33 appearances).
He also created four against Elche in LaLiga in November 2025.
Real Oviedo – Ilyas Chaira
After failing to score in his 15 LaLiga appearances in 2025, Ilyas Chaira has netted six goals in 18 league games in 2026.
However, after netting Oviedo's consolation against Elche, Chaira has failed to score in his last two outings despite having nine shots in those games.
#RealOviedo pic.twitter.com/MhdNEbS7Nq
— Real Oviedo (@RealOviedo) May 13, 2026
MATCH PREDICTION: REAL MADRID WIN
Madrid have won only four of their last nine LaLiga matches against Real Oviedo (D4 L1), having won seven of their previous 10 meetings in the competition (L3).
But following their 3-0 victory at the Carlos Tartiere in August 2025, Madrid are looking to complete a league double over Oviedo for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign under Fabio Capello.
Oviedo have picked up points in five of their last 11 away LaLiga matches against Madrid (W2 D3 L6), however, having lost 25 of their first 27 visits to the Santiago Bernabeu in the top-flight (W1 D1).
Madrid have lost four of their last 11 LaLiga matches (W5 D2), twice as many defeats as in their previous 27 games in the competition (W22 D3 L2).
Oviedo are winless in their last four LaLiga matches (D2 L2), having won three of their previous four (L1); following a 3-0 defeat to Real Betis and a 0-0 draw with Getafe, they could fail to score in three consecutive league games for the first time under Guillermo Almada.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Real Madrid – 71.4%
Draw – 16.5%
Real Oviedo – 12.1%