Real Madrid started life without Xabi Alonso by crashing out of the Copa del Rey to second tier strugglers Albacete as Alvaro Arbeloa endured a nightmare first match in charge.
Alonso was sacked as Madrid boss on Monday after just a matter of months at the helm on the back of his side’s 3-2 defeat by arch rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday night.
Former Madrid and Liverpool defender Arbeloa was immediately appointed as the Spaniard’s replacement, but his reign got off to the worst possible start on Wednesday.
In a game that saw Arbeloa, who was working as head coach of Madrid’s B team, rotate his side, but heavy hitters including the likes of Vinicius Jnr, Federico Valverde and Dean Huijsen were all involved from the off.
The first goal of the game came in the 42nd minute when defender Javi Villar gave the home side the lead, but Franco Mastantuono equalised for Madrid just before the half-time break.
Jefte Betancor thought he has caused an upset in the 82nd minute when he put the underdogs ahead again, only for in-from forward Gonzalo Garcia to break home team hearts and equalise.
Real Madrid got off to a losing start under Alvaro Arbeloa (left) as they were dumped out of the Copa del Rey to second-tier Albacete
Big-hitters such as Vinicius Jnr (pictured) were involved in the game but failed to prevent loss
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, however, Jefte scored again to send the home players, staff and fans into raptures and leave Arbeloa with a first game in charge to forget.
The result came a day after Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham was forced to turn to social media to hit back at suggestions he fell out with Alonso with an X-rated rant.
Bellingham posted on his own JB5 social media site: ‘Until now l’ve let far too many of these slide, always hoping the truth will come to light in its own time,’ Bellingham began, posting on his own app. ‘But honestly… What a load of s***.
‘Truly feel sorry for the people that hang onto the every word of these clowns and their “sources”. Do not believe everything you read, every now and then these lot need to be held accountable for spreading this kind of damaging misinformation for clicks and added controversy.’
The likes of star forward Kylian Mbappe have also faced criticism for seemingly defying Alonso, with the France captain defying his boss’ orders to form a guard of honour for Barcelona after the Super Cup final.
Sharing a photo of the pair embracing at what appeared to be the Bernabeu, Mbappe was the first Madrid player to break their silence on Alonso’s exit, posting: ‘It’s been short but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day 1.
‘I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter.’
Mbappe’s glowing words were perhaps no surprise given the forward has shone under Alonso, scoring 29 goals and adding five assists in just 25 games this season.
The winning goal came in the fourth minute of stoppage time, just after Madrid has scored a late equaliser
Madrid have just the league and Champions League to play for having lost in both cup competitions in a matter of days
Defeat on Sunday meant Xabi Alonso (left) lost his job, and Kylian Mbappe (right) was the first to say goodbye online
Reports in Spain have also suggested Alonso accused his players of behaving like they were in a ‘nursery’ in one training session at Real Madrid, sparking his downfall.
The manager is said to have ‘exploded’ at his stars in early November, with the relationship already at ‘breaking point’ two months before he was sacked.
Spanish newspaper MARCA claim that Alonso had already ‘begun to leave’ Madrid in November at the time of his rant.
The outburst came as a ‘cry of desperation, of weariness, and almost of boredom’ as he grew ‘annoyed’ at how players were not meeting his tactical demands. Alonso was unable to impose the aggressive pressing system that had defined his Bayer Leverkusen team.
Moreover, MARCA reports that a ‘buzz’ around Alvaro Arbeloa began to circulate in the dressing room long before he was appointed as Alonso’s successor.
The forward wasn’t in the squad on Wednesday as he continues his comeback from injury, while the likes of Thibaut Courtois and Eduardo Camavinga were all at least in part afforded a rest.
Madrid’s defeat means they only have LaLiga and the Champions League left to play for this season, and they are currently four points behind Barcelona in the league table.
In the Champions League, they are seventh with two matches left, facing a battle to qualify for the last-16 without the need for the play-offs.
