Khaberni - Álvaro Arbeloa, the new coach of Real Madrid, faced an intensive media test during his first press conference, answering 18 questions within 20 minutes.
Real Madrid announced last Monday the mutual termination of Xabi Alonso's contract, following the loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, and the appointment of Álvaro Arbeloa as his successor.
The Spanish newspaper "Marca" noted that Arbeloa's first appearance carried many messages and signals, especially regarding his anticipated relationship with the media, as he was keen on establishing a friendly atmosphere from the very beginning.
The newspaper pointed out that Arbeloa followed in the steps of Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national team, by addressing the journalists by their names, a move that reflects his desire to build a relationship based on mutual respect and direct communication.
The press conference was managed by the club's director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño, while the most striking question that preoccupied minds before it started was related to the Portuguese coach José Mourinho, which came in the eleventh question.
Arbeloa commented with a smile, saying: "I expected this question, my relationship with Mourinho still exists, but he hasn't contacted me yet... He had a significant impact on my career".
He added with a sarcastic tone: "I'm not afraid of failure, and if I try to be like Mourinho, I will fail miserably".
The new coach also resorted to humor when talking about Real Madrid's playing style, referring to the club's 123 year-long history, by saying: "Real Madrid has never been known for playing beautiful football".
Arbeloa recalled the experience of Zinedine Zidane, who led the team to win three consecutive titles in the Champions League, mentioning that this did not prevent him from facing criticism and ridicule at times.
The young coach avoided delving into the refereeing controversy, simply stating: "I have not played any matches yet, and you are asking me about refereeing".
