Arbeloa on Mbappe: Real Madrid were not built by footballers in tuxedos, but by those with muddy jerseys

Real Madrid defeated Espanyol away last night (2:0) and, at least until next weekend, remained in the race for the title.

There are four rounds left in La Liga, and Barcelona is 11 points ahead of Real Madrid, who they will host on Sunday (21) at home.

Real Madrid celebrated last night with goals from Vinicius, and after the match, Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa spoke about the situation with Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from injury. The Frenchman has been in the spotlight in recent days, as he was photographed on a yacht with his girlfriend, and many have wondered if he is taking his recovery seriously enough.

"Any injury recovery planning is supervised and carried out by Real Madrid's medical services. They decide when it is necessary for players to come to Valdebebas. Each player does what he sees fit in his free time and I cannot interfere with that," Arbeloa said after the match.

Asked if there is a difference between Vinicius and Mbappe in the way they work, he replied:

"I don't compare players. I think we need everyone. Ever since I've been in this position, I've been saying that winning requires the commitment of all players. I often say that it hurts me when I see other teams running more than us. And not just when we don't have the ball. We have to move a lot even when we have possession. It's not easy, because to receive the ball, sometimes you have to make ten runs," Arbeloa pointed out.

Arbeloa didn't stop there.

"If you want to be a complete team that is hard to beat, talent alone is not enough. I like to see players understand that not only is commitment important, but that it is one of the fundamental values ​​of Real Madrid. We did not build Real Madrid with footballers who took to the pitch in tuxedos, but with those who finished the matches in shirts soaked in sweat, mud, effort, sacrifice and perseverance. The best team in the world is the sum of talent and commitment. "Because this team always brings the best players in the world, when they understand what Real Madrid is, what its values ​​are and what made it great, then talent combines with dedication and effort, which makes us the best team in the world. But above all, it's about who we are and how we built the history of Real Madrid," concluded Arbeloa.