Álvaro Arbeloa defends under-fire Real Madrid stars after Mallorca defeat

Palma de Mallorca—Real Madrid head coach Álvaro Arbeloa has shouldered the blame for his side’s 2-1 defeat at RCD Mallorca on Saturday, insisting the players deserve none of the vitriol that has rained down on them since the final whistle at Son Moix.

Los Blancos looked poised to escape with a point when Éder Militão cancelled out the hosts’ opener late on, only for Vedat Muriqi to strike in stoppage time and consign the visitors to their latest league setback. The loss leaves Madrid vulnerable to falling seven points behind Barcelona should the Catalans overcome Atlético Madrid in tonight’s late kick-off.

While social media and post-match phone-ins lit up with criticism of several Madrid stars, Arbeloa refused to let any of it stick to his squad. Speaking to reporters moments after the match, the first-year coach placed responsibility squarely on his own shoulders.

“The defeat is on me. It’s 1000% my fault,” Arbeloa said. “We didn’t do today what we trained for all week. We didn’t create chances well, we lacked patience, we lacked energy, and we lacked ideas.”

The blunt assessment underlined the 41-year-old’s determination to shield a dressing room already under intense scrutiny after a patchy run of domestic form. With the title race potentially slipping out of reach, the former Spain international will now have to rally his side ahead of a congested calendar that offers little time for self-pity.

Real Madrid return to the capital with no points and plenty of questions, but, if their manager’s post-match message is any indication, the players at least will not be left to answer them alone.