Reality Check: Arbeloa Won’t Rewind Real Madrid’s Zidane/Ancelotti Era

Back to reality: Arbeloa won’t make the impossible possible.

A Quick Departure and a Risky Replacement

Within 24 hours of losing a second trophy that mattered to no one, Xabi Alonso was dismissed or resigned; it doesn’t matter much whether he left voluntarily or was pushed. What matters is that his experiment ended as expected, and those who wanted to steer Real Madrid off script found themselves with an early exit, not long after Lopetegui’s fate wasn’t far away.

The decision came fast; the next day a young coach with almost no managerial track record beyond youth teams took the helm, and his playing career was not as storied as his predecessor’s. The obvious explanation is that he is “the obedient boy” willing to follow Florentino Perez’s orders.

The Dream of an Emergency Coach Won’t Materialize

But the fantasy of the emergency coach who would make Europe tremble won’t happen with Arbeloa, just as it didn’t with Zidane. His fate won’t be worse than Santi Solari’s, who arrived in the middle of a season when Alonso’s resignation had just left the throne warm for a new face, only to see March bring no trophies and a season end with Zidane’s return after a lengthy preseason.

Why this? What is the reason for tearing down the “temple of dreams” for the Real Madrid faithful? Is this simply a resentful take on watching the club win titles, or does reality still win even if the other side is Real Madrid itself, which often seems to resist certain realities, plans, or even performances on the pitch?

We don’t claim to predict the future, but every hero needs a dose of reality to propel them toward what everyone sees as impossible, and that dose isn’t present with Ancelotti at the end of his run, nor with Alonso, certainly not with Arbeloa.

Confluence of Failure Factors

Since Real Madrid’s modern era — perhaps throughout its history — the club has been the home of “Galacticos”: stars who can change a game, win titles, and dazzle the crowd. But “too many cooks spoil the broth,” and for success you also need the soil-tillers who allow the stars to shine; while Ronaldo soared, Carvajal and Marcelo attacked the wings, and Casemiro, Modric, and Kroos did the heavy lifting in midfield with the latter duo bringing a special flair.

When Bellingham sprinted after the ball behind the opponent’s back, expecting a magical pass from Kroos or Modric, the others ran until their legs exploded for Real Madrid. The simple equation is: extraordinary attacking talents (even if some are defensive), a couple of artists like Modric and Kroos, and the rest as “muscle” to churn the pitch, defend, and press. That balance ended with Kroos’s retirement and Modric’s departure; the attacking talents expanded with Mbappé without a robust defensive cover, depriving the team of its “artists” and adding a star while the others merely run; balance is broken. Real Madrid — unlike many clubs — has needed only the minimum to win titles, and that minimum has receded year after year and vanished this season.

Flick’s Rivalry Is Extremely Tough, Arbeloa

Beyond Zidane’s era, Real Madrid achieved league and European success with a balance that’s hard to recreate; the lack of a fierce domestic rival makes the European hunt easier. In Ancelotti’s early seasons, Barcelona struggled after Messi’s departure and a thinner squad, with Xavi’s return helping lift them; Real Madrid dominated La Liga while Atlético Madrid often played second fiddle. In recent seasons, injuries and doubts corroded Barcelona’s form, allowing Real Madrid to stay on top domestically. Now Hans-D Flick has revived Barcelona, turning them into a worthy foe; the competition with Flick won’t be easy this season, even if Barcelona misses out on the Champions League, and a domestic treble remains a real possibility for a team that might even declare an injured player to register another!

Arbeloa Is Not Zidane or Ancelotti

If Real Madrid is failing under coaches like Lopetegui and Alonso because they lack complex tactical plans, they still need a coach capable of energizing players and renewing their energy. Arbeloa? That’s a joke not even worthy of a laugh. Zidane was a legendary star; players treated him as a model and followed him faithfully. Ancelotti’s coaching résumé is immense and his paternal approach made players fight for him. Arbeloa’s career as a player suggested he spent more time on the bench; his Twitter clash with Gerard Piqué hinted at a personality but didn’t equip him to lead a squad of stars. So: Arbeloa isn’t Zidane or Ancelotti; it’s another Perez bet aimed at echoing authority rather than building a future. Don’t expect miracles; this season’s decline feels likely.

Real Madrid shouldn’t expect miracles; the season’s downturn seems almost certain. And now, to keep spirits up with a touch of Sniper-style humor: Punchline 1: If miracles paid the wages, Madrid would be the world champion of payrolls. Punchline 2: Real Madrid’s plan is like a GPS in a tunnel: always recalculating and never quite finding the goal.