Alvaro Arbeloa's first night as a Real Madrid manager ended just how he wouldn't have wanted. His side were knocked out of the Copa del Rey, immediately raising doubts over his suitability for the caretaker role.
A 3-2 loss to Segunda Division outfit Albacete came as a massive blow after Madrid lost against Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday. That defeat led to Xabi Alonso parting ways and many wondered whether the board would make a rash decision over Arbeloa.
Reports claimed that Los Blancos' decision-makers would be prepared to pull the plug early if results don't improve. But the latest update on Arbeloa's situation is a positive one for the Spaniard.
Real Madrid to stick with Arbeloa
Arbeloa is believed to have signed a contract as Madrid's caretaker manager until the end of the season. The club's stance after the Albacete defeat is that they have "full trust" in the 42-year-old, per Diario AS (via Madrid Universal).
The board evidently acknowledge they have thrown Arbeloa in the deep end after such a controversial end to Alonso's seven-month reign. He was promoted from Castilla and tasked with overseeing an immediate response following the Barca defeat.
While the performance and result made for grim viewing and reading, most of the blame should be thrown at the players. He fielded a strong side consisting of Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde and Raul Asencio, three regular starters this season.
Albacete sit 17th in Segunda Division and were in disappointing league form, having not won a game since December 8th. But Arbeloa can prove he deserves to see out the rest of the season when his side host Levante in La Liga on Saturday and can move to within a point of leaders Barca who play on Sunday away to Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid's summer plans revealed - no overhaul
Many Madridistas believe the squad needs huge changes in the summer transfer window with a clear lack of experienced leaders. The club never truly replaced Toni Kroos and Luka Modric and are feeling the consequences of losing two all-time greats.
But according to the report above, there will be no overhaul of the team. The only reinforcements that the transfer chiefs are tasked with making are a new midfielder and center-back.
There is a belief that the squad is strong enough to fight for titles, which might concern fans given this season's performances and results. Arbeloa was without several star men last night, including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, but that doesn't mean Los Blancos shouldn't be beating an opponent of Albacete's level.