Real Madrid Ace Hails Fresh Start Under Alvaro Arbeloa: ‘He Is A Great Manager…’

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 08:38 IST

Franco Mastantuono lauds Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso for their trust at Real Madrid, discusses Vinicius Junior.

Franco Mastantuono during the match against Villareal (Picture credit: AP)

Star Real Madrid midfielder Franco Mastantuono has said that the way Alvaro Arbeloa and his staff have shown trust in him has been massive for his confidence, adding that he is also thankful to Xabi Alonso and his team for doing the same with him.

Speaking to DSports’ Nacho PenaMastantuono expressed his gratitude to Alonso and his coaching staff for placing their trust in him after his move from River Plate in the summer.

Mastantuono said that Arbeloa is also helping him a lot in training.

“Well, Alvaro and all of his staff have shown me plenty of trust. That is the most important thing for a player. They have shown faith in me; they showed it and that is the good thing for me,” Mastantuono said.

“In that is probably the reason that I am playing with a little more freedom. I am very grateful to this coaching staff and to Xabi and his staff, too. They showed faith in me to bring me here,” Mastantuono added.

Real Madrid bagged the midfielder from River Plate in the summer for €45 million, activating his release clause. This season, Mastantuono has made 13 league appearances, scoring once and has matched that tally with a goal in each of his four UEFA Champions League outings.

Meanwhile, Mastantuono stated that he has never witnessed Vinicius Junior struggle at Real Madrid. He lauded the Brazilian winger, highlighting how he supports and uplifts his teammates.

“I have never seen Vini Jr. in a bad spell. He is an incredible player. For me, in a year, he has been the best player in the world. I think if he feels good, we will have much better chances of winning as he helps us young players & the team,” Mastantuono said.

Coming off a 2-0 win against Villareal on Sunday, January 25 at the Estadio de la Ceramica, Real Madrid will next take on Benfica on Thursday at the Estadio da Luz.

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