Álvaro Arbeloa Reflects on José Mourinho Ahead of Champions League Clash

omidbasir- Álvaro Arbeloa referred to José Mourinho as “one of us” as Real Madrid prepares to face Benfica, Mourinho’s current team, in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Madrid approaches the match at Estadio da Luz with 15 points, aiming to secure a spot in the top eight. Meanwhile, Benfica, with only six points from seven matches, needs a victory to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage.

Mourinho coached Arbeloa during his tenure at the Bernabéu from 2010 to 2013. In a press conference on Tuesday, Arbeloa described Mourinho as a “role model.”

“I stated on my first day as coach that there will never be anyone like José,” Arbeloa remarked. “Anyone attempting to imitate him will ultimately fail, and I’ve come to understand that from the very beginning. My success will stem from being myself.”

Arbeloa succeeded another former Mourinho player, Xabi Alonso, earlier this month. He quickly rebounded from an early Copa del Rey exit in his first match, achieving three consecutive victories, including a recent win against Villarreal.

The Madrid coach mentioned that he has maintained contact with Mourinho since their time together at the Bernabéu but has been careful not to seek managerial advice too often.

“I know who Mourinho is and can only imagine how busy his phone must be. It’s clear why he frequently changes his number. I’ve tried to ‘bother’ him as little as possible. Yet, he’s the kind of friend you can go long periods without speaking to, and I’m confident he’d answer if I called him at 3 a.m.,” Arbeloa said.

When asked about a potential return for Mourinho to the Bernabéu, Arbeloa declined to speculate, considering the pressures Mourinho currently faces at Benfica after a challenging season.

Wednesday’s match in Lisbon marks a return to the venue where Madrid won the Champions League in 2014, one year after Mourinho’s departure, during which he led the team to three consecutive UCL semifinals without advancing further.

“I prefer not to discuss hypotheticals,” Arbeloa noted. “The significance of the victory here 12 years ago deserves immense recognition, just like the achievements of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane later on.

“However, Mourinho laid the groundwork for those successes. That’s a sentiment I hold. I believe he has always been valued by the club, which is why he was, is, and always will be one of us.”