Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa is not in an easy position midway through the season, and aside from whatever tactics he can try to implement, his biggest task seems to be managing the dressing room, which was ultimately the biggest problem for predecessor Xabi Alonso. A second incident of discontent emerged following peace talks with veteran Dani Carvajal on Tuesday morning.
Carvajal is not happy with his playing time, but the overall atmosphere at Valdebebas has reportedly improved since Arbeloa was promoted to the first team. Even so, his regular star Kylian Mbappe is reportedly happier under Alonso.
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David Alaba expresses his frustrations to Arbeloa
The latest player to question management is David Alaba, who, like Carvajal, believes he deserves more chances. Marca explains that the Austrian defender cannot understand why he has had so little playing time, considering Raul Asensio has been battling injuries and Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huizen have also had fitness issues. The 34-year-old returned to fitness against Sevilla on December 20 and has remained fit since then but has barely featured in the game.
Image via Real Madrid Exclusive
Alaba has represented the team in the past 11 games, but only participated in 5 of them, all as a substitute. Those appearances totaled just 65 minutes.
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Arbeloa has lower priority
But in Alaba’s case, this was less of a threat to his authority. While Carvajal remains captain and, for many, the best option at right-back when fully fit, Alaba has not featured regularly over the past three years. The club have decided not to offer him a contract at the end of the season, thus ending his tenure at the club, so Arbeloa is unlikely to face pressure from the club to play more games.