Alvaro Arbeloa: “I think all Madrid fans are aware of how lucky we are to have Florentino”

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa spoke to the media after getting his first win as the first team coach against Levante on Saturday. He was asked about the boos for Florentino Perez, to which he said: “I know where the boos are coming from, where the campaigns are coming from, and I think the chants aren’t from people who don’t like Florentino, they’re from people who don’t like Real Madrid. I think all Madrid fans are aware of how lucky we are to have Florentino, and we know where the boos are coming from and who they’re coming from.”

Arbeloa on the game

“It was essential to win, what can I tell the Madrid fans, it hasn’t been easy to digest this week, it was important to start the second half of the season in the best way, we won in front of our fans and now we’re thinking about Tuesday.”

Arbeloa on what improved after half-time

“Many things. We had to increase the speed of our ball movement; they sat very deep, which will be the norm in league matches, and if we want to hurt these teams, we have to play faster, we have to be patient. There will be many matches where the game is a slog in the first half, and we have to finish them off in the second, as we did today.”

Arbeloa on returning to the Bernabeu

“It’s something very special and beautiful, the fact that it coincides with my birthday makes it different, but above all, being here in front of the fans I’ve been with for so many years makes me feel like this is an unforgettable day.”

Arbeloa on Monaco

“We don’t have much time to recover, the players’ wear and tear has been great and we’re going to try to recover our legs and our minds because we need those three points to ensure we’re among the top eight.”

Arbeloa on Vinicius Jr

“I’m going to work to improve Vinicius, I’m going to ask his teammates to give him as many balls as possible, he’s the most unpredictable player in the world.”

Arbeloa on boos towards the team and Vinicius Jr

“I have always been someone who has had a lot of respect for the Bernabéu. I have also been booed a lot, and one of the things that makes this club great is the high standards we demand of our team. We know what kind of week we’ve had and we have to take those expectations in stride because they know we can give more. There’s nothing to reproach our fans for; it’s we who have to give much more to the Bernabéu.”