Arbeloa blasted the referee with everything. For him, they don't understand football at all, and he said it quite clearly: the handball was a penalty, and the foul on Mendy was too.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid's manager, railed against the refereeing of Soto Grado after his team's draw at the Estadio de La Cartuja against Betis. The white coach pointed to two specific plays.
A possible penalty for a handball by a green-and-white defender on a shot by Brahim in the first half, and a possible foul by Antony on Mendy in the play that ended with Bellerin's goal in the last minute of the match, which ended up costing his team two points.
Asked about the possible foul on Mendy in the 1-1, Arbeloa responded, "For me it is very clear. It doesn't take much in situations like that where you are using your body; as long as they destabilize you a bit, you go to the ground.
For that, you have to understand a bit of football, something in which I think we have a problem: a lot of people, especially those who have to decide these types of situations, do not know or understand.
We have another disappointment in the final minutes, as has happened to us many other times. It is a result we did not deserve, even though we had chances. There was also a very clear penalty in the first half, with which we could have closed the match."
On Mbappe's condition, Arbeloa said: "I have no idea. He had some discomfort, and we will see how he evolves over the next few days."
Asked why Madrid concedes so many goals in the final minutes, he said: "If we had a clear reason, we would correct it. When you go with such tight and close results, situations like this can usually happen. It is clear that we are not having much luck either."
Regarding the possible handball penalty by Betis, he said: "For me, it is a very clear penalty, with an open hand that is not glued to the body on a shot by Brahim. There is not much more to see in a very clear play, just like the last one.
When Ferland Mendy wins the position, as soon as they grab you a little or touch your arm a little, it is a foul. It is something very basic in the world of football, but it is not the first time something like this has happened to us. I think two decisions greatly affect the match."
On why Ceballos did not travel with the team, Arbeloa said: "I always bring the ones I consider appropriate." When asked again about Ceballos and whether something had happened with him, Arbeloa repeated: "I always bring the ones I consider appropriate."
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