Real Madrid appear to be regaining their footing with Arbeloa’s damage control methods

What happens when an attempt is made to control the chaos? When ideology and culture collide? As one of the most respected clubs in the world, carrying the mantle of Real Madrid’s head coach is no easy task.

Xabi Alonso’s attempt to enforce his tactical identity at Real Madrid ended abruptly when the two parted ways after an inconsistent spell. He was then succeeded by another former Real Madrid player, Alvaro Arbeloa, who coached the reserve team, also known as Castilla.

Now Arbeloa has the mammoth task of turning around Madrid’s season, and so far it has surprisingly worked.

Alonso’s idea to transform Real Madrid into a cohesive unit, where every player is an equal cog in the great machine that is Madrid, was in stark contrast to Los Blancos’ superstar-oriented philosophy of previous seasons.

Certain teams have philosophies that are synonymous with their identity; Barcelona’s possession-based football, branded as Tiki-Taka, and Manchester United’s fast, attacking football using quick wingers are just a few examples.

However, Real Madrid thrives on chaos. The philosophy is based on individual ability and brilliance rather than a focused positional approach typical of modern football. The unity is created by individuality, which is clearly visible in several eras of the club.

Since the 2000s, Real Madrid, led by Florentino Perez, has been defined by the Galacticos approach. From the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos in the early 2000s, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco, Angel Di Maria and now to the current era with Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Arda Guler have defined Madrid’s identity.

Managers not only had the responsibility of managing performance, but also the egos of these superstars in the locker room. This system was a mixed bag for Madrid, allowing them to achieve great success in the modern era, but at the same time creating a tense atmosphere and putting more pressure on the club.

Alonso, who enjoyed unprecedented success at Bayer Leverkusen with his coaching ideas, tried to break away from Madrid’s legendary philosophy. He prioritized structure and control with clear positional roles, which brought relative success but at the cost of stifling the individual quality of the superstar talents.

However, Arbeloa understands that and has used it to the team’s advantage. He was not called in to innovate, but to limit damage. Under Arbeloa, Madrid have now gone back to their traditional ways, using a back four and returning to their natural width, embracing simpler roles and vertical play.

Under Alonso, Madrid averaged 53 percent of the ball and completed more passes in their own half with an average of 234, compared to around 217 for the opposition. This system collapsed against teams that could rival Madrid in terms of control, exemplified by the 3–2 defeat to FC Barcelona, ​​where Los Blancos had a paltry 36 percent of the ball, while having 170 passes in their own half and 70 in Barcelona’s. Madrid’s players found it a challenge to play through opposition lines, leading to a large number of errors encountered by the oppositions.

This system underwent a complete change under Arbeloa, as Madrid maintained an average possession of 61 percent and retained the ball predominantly in the attacking third with approximately 315 passes into the opponent’s area, compared to 227 in their own. This allowed for greater intensity in terms of attacking options and reduced misplaced passes in his area, limiting scoring opportunities for the opponents.

The former Spain international has returned Madrid to playing 4-3-3, occasionally switching it up to 4-1-2-1-2. Vinicius, Mbappé, Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Courtois form the backbone of Arbeloa’s Real Madrid.

Mbappe retains his position as a central striker and is identified by Arbeloa as one of the team’s core leaders. Since Arbeloa’s arrival, Mbappe has put in solid performances, scoring nine goals in six games.

Under Alonso’s formation, two central midfielders moved into attacking half-spaces. The idea was to overload the centre, control the pace and create passing triangles. This led to problems among wingers like Vinicius and Rodrygo, who thrive in isolated wide roles rather than in tight central areas. The Brazilian duo are now back to being vertical wingers, hugging the touchline and using their explosiveness to launch counter-attacks and create spaces.

Vinicius has experienced an enormous increase in form under Arbeloa. He created nineteen chances in nine games, completed seventeen successful dribbles, scored five goals and provided two assists. Compared to his performances in Alonso’s last nine games for Madrid, he has shown an increase of almost 133 percent in goals and assists.

Vinicius’ rocky relationship with Alonso had a profound impact on his form, an impact that has now been reversed by Arbeloa, who has found the best version of the Brazilian yet this season.

Wing-backs now overlap rather than invert, with Valverde and academy graduate Alvaro Carreras being the current combination. Now that both Dani Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold are fit again, Uruguayan Valverde can return to his favorite number eight in midfield.

The midfield focuses on covering and releasing, with less emphasis on perfect zone coverage. Bellingham and Guler have been used as Madrid’s main creators, with Camavinga taking on the role of the deep-lying midfielder. Arbeloa has encouraged the team to make early forward passes and play one-on-one, something Alonso has shied away from.

Madrid’s defensive performance has also seen a slight upgrade, with an average of 1.1 goals per game compared to Alonso’s 1.4 per game.

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While Alonso managed risk, Arbeloa embraced it. Tactical changes are not the only reason for Madrid’s change of pace. Arbeloa managed to restore a sense of trust among the players, moving from Alonso’s tactical rigidity to a simplified environment with clear messages between the coaches and players. However, this shift did not go smoothly.

The less sustained control over the ball makes Madrid’s midfield easy to bypass. Due to the heavy reliance on individuals, there are little to no risks in the event of injuries or layoffs. Arbeloa’s first match in Madrid highlighted these problems as they suffered a shock 3–2 defeat to second division side Albacete in the Spanish Cup.

Since then, Madrid have put in a string of decent performances, bar two, the defeat to Benfica in the Champions League stage and to Osasuna in La Liga. Under Arbeloa, Los Blancos also qualified for the Champions League Round of 16 with a 3-1 aggregate victory over Benfica in the play-offs, avenging their previous loss to the Eagles. They will face Manchester City in the Round of 16 in what has become a somewhat prominent European rivalry, with the upcoming two-legged match being the 13th meeting between the two teams since 2020.

Although Arbeloa’s tenure has only just begun, Madrid’s players appear to be enjoying their new creative freedom on the pitch, which was evident in games such as their 6-1 win over Monaco in the Champions League.

Arbeloa’s tactics aren’t groundbreaking, but his approach has only simplified the structure and restored creative freedom. He embraced the traditions of Madrid rather than trying to modernize them. The question remains, however, whether this is really a sustainable system for Real Madrid in the long term as they aim for major titles.

Published on March 2, 2026