Manager says the players feel injustice, anger and pain after late sending off of Eduardo Camavinga
Alvaro Arbeloa said he and his players were “hurting” after Real Madrid were knocked out by Bayern Munich in a dramatic, and for neutral fans highly entertaining, Champions League quarter-final.
The tie delivered a chaotic and high-quality contest across both legs, with momentum swinging repeatedly on the night at the Allianz Arena.
Madrid led three times, scoring the first goal as early as 30 seconds into the game, and looked set to force extra time before late goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed the Bundesliga side’s passage to the semi-finals.
Arbeloa praised his players’ effort but said missed chances were a key factor in their defeat.
“Every single one of them made a great effort,” said Arbeloa. They showed a lot of character on this pitch against a truly great team. The truth is, in the second half, we knew we had to hold on, and those chances – well, it was bad luck not to convert them, because ultimately, in football, what matters is being as clinical and clinical as possible when you’re near the goalkeeper.”
Madrid’s coach defended his team selection and approach to the game, insisting he would make the same decisions again despite the painful outcome.
“I think I fielded the best team to win,” Arbeloa said. “We had to come here to win. I couldn’t come here to play it safe. I wanted to score goals.
“I knew that Bayern, given their style of play, wanted us to focus on defending, to be able to bring out players capable of overcoming their aggressive, man-to-man pressure. I would do it again, and I would field this team again.”
The decisive moment came late in the game when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card after carrying the ball away following a foul. The aggregate score was level at the time and his dismissal shifted the balance. Bayern duly capitalised.
The decision left Real furious at full time.
“It’s very hurt,” said Arbeloa when asked about the feeling in the dressing room, “especially because of the way it happened. From here, I also want to congratulate Bayern Munich on the great tie they played. But we would have liked them to beat us in a different way than it did, with an inexplicable sending-off that no one understands.
“And I think that’s why there’s this feeling of injustice, anger and pain that my players feel seeing how the work, the effort, the sacrifice, and everything they did on the field was thrown away because of a decision like the one the referee made.”
The frustration extended beyond the final whistle, with Arda Guler, who had scored twice earlier in the match, later shown a red card after confronting the referee in front of the tunnel.
The result means Madrid will likely end the season without silverware, having also fallen nine points behind Barcelona with seven games to go in La Liga. Arbeloa, however, dismissed any concern over his own future.
“It doesn’t worry me at all, and I’ll fully understand any decision the club makes,” said Madrid’s coach. “I’m a homegrown player. If I’m hurting today, it’s not for myself, it’s for Real Madrid and because we’re not going to win the sixteenth [Champions League trophy] this year.”
“I’m hurting for the players, for the club, for the fans, and not for myself. I’m not worried about my future at all. Since I’ve been in this position, it hasn’t even been the slightest concern. I feel I’ve done everything I could to try and help my players win every day.”
