Arbeloa admits: I'm at Fulham thanks to Real Madrid

Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa reflected on his time at Real Madrid, insisting he will always be grateful to Los Blancos.

AS newspaper carried Arbeloa's comments to DAZN, where he said: "Coaching Real Madrid was an enormous and tremendous learning experience."

"I would have wished things had gone better, for the club and the fans, but things went the way they went," he added. "I will always remain grateful to Real Madrid. I am a Madridista and I will always be one. Especially now, after I also have a friend on the bench leading the team."

The Spaniard went on: "Real Madrid is the club of my life. I will follow all of its matches. I am here thanks to Real Madrid. I spent more than 20 years connected to this club, and that is something I will always carry inside me."

On the Premier League, he said: "What convinced me to come to Fulham was the project the club presented to me, and the passion the club's owners showed me."

Arbeloa also spelled out his footballing philosophy: "I want us to be a very fierce team, when we do not have the ball or when we lose it. This is extremely important and requires a lot on every level: physical, mental and collective. The players must do this completely, because the risks you take when you defend high up the pitch are great, but this is the style I want to see from my team."

Spanish coaches are thriving in England, and he was quick to praise them: "All the Spanish coaches have their own style. Some of them have an extensive career, like Guardiola or Emery. Iraola has been here for three years, Xabi has come to Chelsea, and Arteta is achieving victories. I am happy to see all of them succeed, and to learn from them, because they are truly great coaches."

He concluded: "I love players who want to learn and work, and who demand a lot of themselves. Gonzalo and Palacios are two players who possess enormous talent, and they share that personality, self-discipline and ambition that I want from young players like them."

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