Champions League easier to win than La Liga: Real Madrid coach

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Real Madrid is going to end the second consecutive season without a major title. After an early exit from the Copa del Rey, their journey to the Champions League also stopped in the quarter-finals. They are 9 points behind Barcelona who are also at the top of La Liga. In this situation, the Spanish giants will face Alaves on Tuesday.

In his pre-match press conference, coach Alvaro Arbeloa partly blamed the Spanish referees for the team’s disappointing performance in the domestic league. Especially in the match on April 10, he expressed his anger because he was not given a penalty even though Kylian Mbappe was fouled inside the box.

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According to Arbeloa, it is easier for Real to win the Champions League than La Liga. They have won La Liga seven times in the last two decades, most recently in 2024; On the other hand, they have won the Champions League title six times in the same period.

Explaining his comment, he said, there are specific reasons behind it, which many people can understand. Real have played well in big matches in recent times, but they have failed to live up to expectations against comparatively weaker opponents.

He also said that some controversial situations like the match against Girona, which is one of the reasons for their relegation in La Liga. He claims, because of these reasons, winning the Champions League has become relatively easy.

Real’s complaints about Spanish refereeing are not new. The controversy has intensified especially after Barcelona were accused of bribing referees. Arbeloa called it the biggest scandal in Spanish football.

Meanwhile, Real has left the Champions League after losing to Bayern Munich last week. As a result, there is a fear of being without a title for the second season in a row.

In this context, Arbeloa said, not getting any trophy for two seasons is a rare event in the history of Real. He said, this club always moves forward with the mentality of winning and accepting defeat is not part of their culture. So he emphasized that the remaining seven matches of the season must be won.