Arbeloa after Real Madrid's slip-up: Some days, things just don't go your way

Real Madrid suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Mallorca in the league, leaving fans puzzled ahead of the season's crucial final stages. At Son Moix, the capital club failed to impress and were punished in the dying seconds. This loss comes just days before their first Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich. Here's what head coach Alvaro Arbeloa had to say after the match:

What are your thoughts on the loss? Do you feel you've lost many, if not all, chances to contend for the title?
It's tougher than it was before the match. We have eight rounds left, and as I told the players, regardless of the league situation, our next goal is to win all eight. To do that, we need to play better than we did today and perform at a much higher level. Everything is more difficult now, but our objective must remain the same.

The team created more chances in the first half. Why wasn't there the same drive in the second half? Why didn't you penetrate Mallorca's penalty area more?
The circumstances likely played a role – the pressure of being behind, the patience we needed to show… They closed down spaces more effectively and had more energy after taking the lead. We lacked both that patience and what we worked on during the week – stretching them out and creating more one-on-one situations on the flanks. We were missing many things in the second half. We needed a second half with more energy and clearer ideas.

On Friday, you mentioned that analyzing the match raised many alarms. What angered you the most today?
It's much easier for me to see how difficult the match is and how strong the opponent is. It's easy for me to see, but the hard part is for the players to understand that without 200% effort, we couldn't win. Even though we were the better team in the first half, we conceded a goal due to a momentary lapse. Here, it's enough to lose focus for a second, not position yourself well, lose track of a player, and not follow him – and it costs you a goal. When you're not effective in front of goal, and the opponent is, you eventually pay the price because this is the elite, this is La Liga. What hurts me most is that we didn't have a much better second half.

You talk about 200%, but there were players who weren't at the required level when tracking back in defense. Is this more a loss for the players than for the coach?
No, no. This loss is mine – entirely and completely mine. What I need from them now is to think about Tuesday's match (against Bayern - editor's note). When they leave the dressing room, this game should already be behind them. I am the one who makes the decisions – I pick the squad, I make the substitutions, I choose how we play, and this loss is entirely on the Real Madrid coach. I need my players to believe that we will win Tuesday's match – this incredibly important Champions League game – a tournament that is extremely significant for us. So, when they step onto the field, they should only be thinking about Bayern.

Is Bellingham lacking rhythm to compete at the level Real Madrid's opponents will demand?
Naturally, it's normal – he was out for many weeks. Against Atlético Madrid, he only played 20 minutes. Today, it was a little over half an hour, and the idea is for him to gradually get back into competitive rhythm. He can't be at his maximum without playing regularly. We need to be patient with him, of course.

Are you concerned that this defeat will have a negative effect on the fans?
Not at all. I know what my players are capable of. I know they understand how important Tuesday's match is. There are days when things just don't go your way. On Tuesday, the demands will be maximum again, and I know what kind of support the Madridistas will give us. With them, everything is easier.