Arbeloa’s experience as head coach of Real Madrid’s reserve team has made integrating young players into the first team feel seamless, so it was natural to expect him to give emerging talent opportunities.
That happened more notably when Real Madrid played Elche earlier this month and Arbeloa gave minutes to six Castilla players – Gonzalo Garcia, Daniel Yanez, Diego Aguado, Manuel Angel and Cesar Palacios, while also naming Thiago Pitarch in the starting XI.
Pitarch, in particular, has rapidly established himself as one of Arbeloa’s most promising proteges.
At just 18 years and 226 days old, he became the youngest player in the club’s history to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, beating Vinicius’ record by 10 days.
Asked what it meant to see five academy graduates on the pitch, Arbeloa couldn’t hide his pride.
“I think I can die happy after a night like tonight,” he said.
“I was just talking to Yanez and Aguado, who were the first players I coached when they were 13 or 14 years old, and to be able to give them the opportunity to play at the Bernabeu is a dream come true for me.”
While Arbeloa might be familiar with the Castilla players, he admits injuries have limited his exposure to some first-team players, but he is eager to continue building relationships across the squad.
“I still have a lot to learn because we’re gradually recovering players I haven’t worked with yet, such as Militao,” he said. “Bellingham was able to play [against Atletico] after a long time, so we’re in constant evolution with a lot of room for improvement.
“There’s a tough calendar ahead, with a test every three days, and we have to give our best.”