Arbeloa's Madrid Revival: Turning Doubters into Believers with Vinícius and Valverde on Fire

Picture the scene at the Bernabéu after Real Madrid's nail-biting 3-2 derby win over Atlético Madrid. Álvaro Arbeloa, the interim gaffer who's become a full-blown hero, gets asked about the sceptics who wrote him off. His cheeky reply? "They didn't know the players I had." Classic deflection – the man's got the squad purring like a well-oiled Ferrari.

Since stepping in for Xabi Alonso back in January, Arbeloa's been all about bigging up his stars. Whether it's gushing over Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappé or brick wall Antonio Rüdiger (he even joked about a garden statue), credit always swings back to the lads. And boy, has it paid off. As reported by Alex Kirkland and Rodra at ESPN Spain, Madrid have racked up 17 wins from 21 games across all comps – that's some turnaround, mate.

From Sacking Shadows to Title Chasers

When Arbeloa took the reins on 12 January, things looked grim. They'd just been dumped out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier Albacete, and back-to-back league losses to Osasuna and Getafe had insiders whispering about a summer boot. But fast-forward, and Los Blancos are just four points off Barcelona in LaLiga, with a blockbuster Clásico looming on 10 May. In the Champions League, they've turfed out Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate and face Bayern Munich next.

Arbeloa's lads have already scalped sides bossed by legends: José Mourinho's Benfica, Pep Guardiola's City, and Diego Simeone's Atleti. Not bad for a coach who was coaching the reserves not long ago. Sure, there were bumps, but he's nailed the big calls – especially with his underachieving superstars.

Vinícius Júnior: From Clásico Petulance to Brace Machine

Remember Vinícius as the poster boy for dressing-room unrest under Alonso? The Brazilian's sulky sub exit in last October's Clásico said it all. Alonso had frozen him out despite fitness, even mulling a benching at the Club World Cup. Result? A three-month goal drought, Bernabéu boos, and stalled contract talks (his deal's up in 2027).

Arbeloa flipped the script overnight. He made Vini undroppable, demanded teammates feed him the ball, and hailed him as Madrid's fearless embodiment. Boom – five straight games scoring in February, then braces against City and Atleti. That touchline bear hug after the derby? Pure gold. Vini himself chipped in from Brazil duty: he wants to stay "for a long time." Not far off his peak, reckons the boss.

Valverde's Right-Wing Rampage: Unleashing the Uruguayan Beast

Fede Valverde was another Alonso dissenter, alongside Vini and Jude Bellingham. Footage caught him trudging through warm-ups, and he was shunted to right-back – a role he moaned wasn't for him, especially sans Trent Alexander-Arnold or Dani Carvajal.

Arbeloa restored him to marauding right-wing duties, à la Carlo Ancelotti's blueprint. Since January's Supercopa, Fede's bagged six goals in a month, including a hat-trick versus City and the 94th-minute winner at Celta Vigo. "He's got the spirit of Juanito," beamed Arbeloa. Liberated from full-back drudgery, Valverde's carrying Madrid on his back – exactly what you need in a title scrap.

It's not rocket science: confidence, right positions, relentless praise. Arbeloa's turned doubters into devotees, and with City humbled and Atleti bruised, Madrid smell silverware. Fancy a pint to toast the turnaround?