Arbeloa signals farewell and hails Mourinho as number one | OneFootball

Arbeloa signalled he is nearing the end of his short spell in charge of Real Madrid, praising Mourinho and moving to cool tensions with Kylian Mbappé.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, he has accepted next Saturday will be his final stop, with Sevilla, who are seeking to secure safety, away on Sunday then Athletic at the Bernabéu a week later, fixtures with no bearing on the table.

He said he arrived four months ago as a Primera RFEF coach and, having led Madrid in La Liga and the Champions, would leave with a clear conscience after a valuable learning experience.

When he replaced Xabi Alonso, no term was disclosed. With José Mourinho awaiting a definitive call, Arbeloa accepts change may follow and he hailed the Portuguese as number one and one of their own, subject to elections and any surprises.

Madrid have gone 24 hours without a fresh flashpoint, a rarity after a turbulent run featuring a Tchouaméni-Valverde row, Barça’s title-clinching clásico, Florentino Pérez’s election call and Mbappé’s outburst after being benched against Oviedo.

Mbappé had complained about being labelled the fourth striker, a claim the coach disputes. On Saturday Arbeloa said he had spoken to him, urged him to stay calm and assured him he would handle it, understood the frustration at not starting, and felt second-half minutes would help him play on Sunday, insisting their relationship is unchanged and saying he even likes that reaction.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo