Blame me, says Arbeloa, as Madrid crashes out of Copa del Rey

ALBACETE, Spain — New coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he was not afraid of failure as he took the blame for Real Madrid's stunning 3-2 defeat to second division Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Wednesday.

Arbeloa endured a nightmare start to his managerial career at Real after taking charge of the Spanish giant following Xabi Alonso's departure on Monday.

The shock result capped a dismal week for the club, which also lost 3-2 to Barcelona in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final.

The 42-year-old Arbeloa inherits a side four points adrift of its archrival Barcelona in La Liga and now out of the Copa del Rey.

Speaking after the humbling result at a misty Carlos Belmonte Stadium, the former Real Madrid defender took full responsibility for the defeat, but insisted that brighter days lay ahead.

"At this club, a draw is always bad, a tragedy, so imagine a defeat like this. It's painful, and I'm sure all our fans are hurting," Arbeloa told reporters. "I am responsible and to blame. As for the lineup and the substitutions, I can only thank the players. Now we have to recover for Saturday."

Arbeloa's decision to rest several first-team stars came under scrutiny, as Madrid struggled against an organized and determined Albacete side. Despite the result, Arbeloa doubled down on his choices.

"I don't regret it. I was convinced that the squad I brought was the right one," he asserted. "I would make the same decision a thousand times over. It's difficult for players to adapt to everything I've asked of them in just one day. We also have many players who need to recover physically."

No fear of failure

Madrid's second consecutive loss in less than a week was a blow for Arbeloa, but the manager remained steadfast in his belief that failure is a stepping stone to success.

"I'm not afraid of failure," he said. "I understand anyone who wants to describe this defeat as a failure. Failure is part of the road to success. It will make me better, and it will make us all better. I've endured defeats harder than this one. We'll prepare for the next match with maximum dedication."

He added that Real had a lot of room for improvement physically.

"With a new manager, players will need time to adjust to different ideas," he said. "What happens on the pitch is ultimately my responsibility. We need clearer ideas in how we approach matches, particularly against teams that defend deep."

Jefte Betancor scored the game-winning goal four minutes into stoppage time to send Albacete to the quarterfinals. Gonzalo Garcia had also scored in added time for Madrid to even the match at 2-2.

Arbeloa used a few B-team players as expected, but he drew some criticism for resting many of his top stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo. Vinicius Junior started, but was mostly ineffective, as Madrid had difficulty creating scoring opportunities.

Veteran defender Dani Carvajal, who entered the game in the second half, said Madrid fans deserved an apology after the team's performance.

"We are not going through our best moment," he said. "Everyone has to give a lot more."

Albacete sits 17th in the 22-team second division. It hadn't won in five consecutive games across all competitions.

The host got on the board first, with Javier Villar scoring with a header off a corner kick in the 42nd minute, before Franco Mastantuono equalized three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Betancor put Albacete back in front in the 82nd with a shot from inside the area when the Madrid defense failed to fully clear a cross into the box.

"It's the greatest thing in football and it happened today," Betancor said. "I'm so happy for my team, everyone worked like crazy. I'm very, very happy."

In other meetings between first division clubs, Rayo Vallecano lost 2-0 at Alaves and Real Betis beat Elche 2-1 at home.

Agencies