Arbeloa talks Mbappe, Bellingham, Huijsen, VAR, squad rebuild after Barcelona 2-0 Real Madrid

“I don’t know. We’ll see how his injury progresses.”

Unhappy with refereeing moment

Another major talking point from the match was the controversial decision after a challenge by Eric Garcia on Jude Bellingham.

While many debates quickly erupted after the final whistle, Arbeloa made it clear that he believed the decision was correct.

Real Madrid lost the El Clasico and also the La Liga title. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

He questioned why VAR failed to intervene further during the incident before congratulating Barcelona on their league triumph.

“From what we could see, it was clear. We should probably ask why VAR didn’t intervene.

“Congratulations to Barça on the title; they got off to a very strong start.”

Future of Real Madrid

The Madrid boss also reflected on how quickly the game slipped away from his side once Barcelona took control.

He admitted that chasing the match against such an organised team became extremely difficult.

“It became an uphill battle too early on. They’re very good when they take the lead. They’re a very well-drilled team.

“I asked them to give it their all until the very end, regardless of the score.”

Despite the disappointment of finishing the season without silverware, Arbeloa rejected suggestions that the squad requires a complete rebuild.

Instead, he backed the current group of players and insisted the focus must now shift toward next season.

“We have a great roster that can be leveraged to great effect. We have players that any team in Europe would want; all that’s left is to focus on the future.”

Last-minute Huijsen change explained

Arbeloa also explained the late change involving Dean Huijsen.

The defender arrived at the stadium suffering from flu-like symptoms and was eventually withdrawn from the starting lineup shortly before kickoff.

“He wanted to play. But he was feeling weak, and it was my decision. We needed energy, so I decided to start Raul [Asencio] in his place,” he concluded.

Source: AS