Khaberni - Real Madrid, the 15-time record European champion in football, showed its fangs on Wednesday, but left Munich staring at the specter of a second consecutive season without a major title.
The capital's team is nine points behind league leaders Barcelona, and Los Blancos appear headed for a turbulent, trophyless season following a dramatic exit from the quarterfinals at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Many consider the team of Belgian Vincent Kompany to be the strongest in the competition this season, and Real Madrid made a strong attempt to eliminate the Bavarian team in an exciting match at the "Allianz Arena", but they gave in during the last minutes.
Team Alvaro Arbeloa took the lead three times in the first half and had all the chances to qualify until Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in the 86th minute.
However, a late double by Bayern dealt Madrid a 4-3 defeat in the match, a night Arbeloa said his players "gave their souls and their lives", confirming a 6-4 loss on aggregate.
Yet, the honorable performance might not be enough to save the coach, as the royal team braces for a painful period and possibly changes in the coming weeks and months.
For club president Florentino Perez, failure in the Spanish capital is rarely forgiven without someone paying the price.
This may be the first time Real Madrid goes through two consecutive seasons without major titles since the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons.
After a tumultuous night in Munich, Spanish newspaper "As" wrote "An honorable exit that does not comfort nor prevent a new revolution".
The biggest problem for Real Madrid remains the same one that Italian Carlo Ancelotti could not solve last season, and that Xabi Alonso did not fix during his short term: How to integrate Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, Brazilian Vinicius Junior, and English Jude Bellingham into one lineup without losing balance?
Arbeloa could argue that the second leg against Bayern showed that this was possible, with the English international shining, Mbappe scoring, and a decisive pass from Vinicius who also hit the post.
However, the energy and effort put forth by these big names in this match significantly exceeded what has been shown in seasonal performances this season, and it is unlikely to be repeated in less significant occasions, not to mention the team conceded four goals.
French star Mbappe had won the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup shortly after his arrival from Paris Saint Germain in 2024, but despite his prolific scoring, he has not come close to winning a major title since then.
Last season, Barcelona swept the domestic treble, while Madrid was ousted from the Champions League quarterfinals by English Arsenal.
This season, in Arbeloa’s first game as head coach, Albasiti from the second division knocked Real Madrid out of the King's Cup competition.
- The future of Arbeloa -
When Arbeloa was promoted to coach the first team in January, Real Madrid did not announce the duration of his contract.
The Spaniard said he would stay as long as the club wished, and reiterated the position after the elimination in Bavaria.
Arbeloa told reporters, "I have always tried to help the club in the best possible way, and so it will be until the last day".
He continued, "I am not worried at all (about my future), and I will fully understand any decision the club makes. If I am hurting today, it is not for me, but for Real Madrid, because this year we will not win our sixteenth European title".
While the coach sometimes struggled to motivate the team in the Spanish league, achieving only 13 wins in 21 matches, his bold and offensive lineup against Bayern nearly bore fruit.
Arbeloa kept Camavinga and Thiago Biarritz on the bench, opting for an offensive midfield trio consisting of Bellingham, Uruguayan Federico Valverde, and Turkish playmaker Arda Guler who scored twice.
The anger of Madrid over the decision to send off Camavinga and their fighting performance might aid Arbeloa, but whether that will be enough to save his position remains to be seen, as there is no clear alternative for Perez to turn to.
The last weeks of the season in the Spanish league could play a role in this decision, including the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona on May 10, when the Catalonians might clinch the title.
The path to the end of May might be gloomy, but Arbeloa said his team "has no choice" but to continue the fight and defend the club's emblem as long as he is in charge.
