Real Madrid criticised over handling of forward player – “They are killing him”

Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Osasuna on Sunday night has intensified scrutiny over coach Álvaro Arbeloa’s use of €45 million summer signing Franco Mastantuono, with the 18-year-old forward left unused for a third consecutive match despite the team chasing a late equaliser.

Supporters inside the Bernabéu voiced bewilderment when Mastantuono remained on the bench as Los Blancos pushed forward in the closing stages, a decision that has now drawn stinging criticism in his native Argentina. Former international Norberto Alonso, speaking to Marca, did not mince words: “They are killing him. Do you know why? I think that boy is going to end up in a team at the bottom. Then, maybe he will return to Real Madrid, but first he has to be given the chance to show that he can play for Real Madrid.”

Mastantuono, who only weeks ago praised Arbeloa’s guidance, has seen his opportunities evaporate since the coach shifted to a midfield-four shape. With Rodrygo Goes nearing a return from injury, the teenager’s pathway to minutes looks even narrower. Argentine FA officials, tracking the player’s progress ahead of March’s La Finalissima and this summer’s World Cup in North America, are said to be “not happy” about his inactivity, fearing it will leave him under-prepared for pivotal international duty.

January could have offered an escape hatch: Napoli, the reigning Serie A champions, approached Real Madrid about a loan, but Mastantuono opted to stay and fight for his place. Three months on, that gamble appears increasingly costly. Unless Arbeloa reintegrates the forward quickly, Mastantuono faces a season spent largely on the margins of a squad assembled to compete for every major trophy.

Real Madrid have yet to respond publicly to the criticism, yet the clock is ticking for both club and player to find a solution that protects one of Argentine football’s most coveted talents from a lost year.