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Real Madrid head coach Álvaro Arbeloa says he "completely understands" Kylian Mbappé's emotional outburst on Thursday night, though he still urged the French star to "stay calm" in the wake of the incident.
As if the drama at the Bernabéu wasn't already at a boiling point, Mbappé added fuel to the fire with inflammatory remarks following Los Blancos' 2–0 win over Real Oviedo in midweek. The 27-year-old publicly criticized Arbeloa for leaving him on the bench until the 69th minute and suggested the squad performed better under Xabi Alonso's management.
Two days after Mbappé's unplanned media appearance, Arbeloa spoke extensively about his relationship with the star striker and what has been happening behind closed doors.
"Just as I was heading out, I ran into him and told him to stay calm, that I'd take care of it," he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. "I understand that a lot of this might look like big news. Everything he said in the mixed zone was something he had already discussed with me beforehand.
"I take it all much more in stride because, as I always tell my players, I've been in their shoes and I know exactly what they're feeling in any given situation. I know what it's like to play every match, I know what it's like to get less time, and I know what it's like to not play at all. I completely understand how they feel when they're left out."
Why Arbeloa Didn't Start Mbappé vs. Real Oviedo
A large part of Mbappé's frustration stemmed from being left out of the starting lineup on Thursday, despite his public assurances that he was fully fit to play. Arbeloa instead went with a front three of Vinicius Junior, Gonzalo García, and Franco Mastantuono.
When Mbappé entered as a substitute, he was greeted by loud whistles from the Bernabéu faithful — jeers that didn't let up even after he set up Jude Bellingham's late goal with an assist.
"I know he wasn't happy the other day, and honestly, I like that," Arbeloa said. "I wouldn't understand it if Kylian Mbappé didn't want to be on the pitch with his teammates, even in a situation like this. To me, it's far more ordinary than the way it's been portrayed.
"Given the circumstances, right or wrong, I felt it was best for him to get some minutes in the second half to be ready for Sunday. Had there been no game on Sunday, things would have played out very differently — but that's all there is to it. I see everything that's happened over these past few days as completely normal, and my relationship with Mbappé hasn't changed one bit."
Arbeloa Downplays Dressing Room Fissures
Mbappé's public comments are just the latest controversy to rock Real Madrid. In recent weeks, Álvaro Carreras appeared to confirm that Antonio Rüdiger had slapped him, and Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were involved in a heated confrontation that left the Uruguayan with a head injury.
Reports have also emerged of a deep divide within the squad, with roughly half the team said to be backing Vinicius Junior and Arbeloa, while the other half reportedly favored Alonso — a view Mbappé is said to share. Club president Florentino Pérez did little to ease the media frenzy when he called an emergency press conference to announce new elections and vow to track down whoever has been leaking stories to the press.
Arbeloa, however, was quick to say he is unbothered by players taking private conversations and incidents public — even if it's not something he would do himself.
"Whenever I speak to the players, I think carefully about what I say — not because it might leak — but because I genuinely mean every word, and I have no fear of them sharing or commenting on any conversation we've had.
"When they speak to me in private, I prefer to keep it that way. But I understand, and it neither upsets nor offends me if they choose to make one of our conversations public. I spoke to [Mbappé] before the match, and what I told him is exactly what he told you. There's nothing more to it."