"This is betrayal." Arbeloa delivers harsh verdict on scandalous situation at Real ahead of El Clasico
Real Madrid head coach Álvaro Arbeloa delivered one of the most emotional press conferences of the season on the eve of El Clasico against Barcelona.
The Madrid boss publicly defended Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni following a high-profile locker room dispute, and sharply criticized the leaks coming from within the club. According to Arbeloa, both players have already acknowledged their mistake and apologized to the team and fans.
I'm not going to publicly crucify my players. Neither Valverde nor Tchouaméni deserve that. They have done so much for this club and perfectly embody Real Madrid. Leaking information from the dressing room is a betrayal of Real. It's absolute disloyalty to this club.
It's a lie that the players disrespected me. An absolute lie. When a player doesn't make it onto the pitch, it's purely a sporting decision," the coach stated.
Arbeloa admitted that this season has been extremely tough for the club, but emphasized that he continues to have faith in his team. He also confirmed that Tchouaméni will be included in the squad for the upcoming El Clasico despite the recent conflict.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
