“At this club, a draw is bad enough, a tragedy. Imagine a defeat like this. It’s painful and I’m sure that all the fans are hurt. If anyone is responsible for this defeat, it’s me,” said a candid Arbeloa, who took the reins from Xabi Alonso on Tuesday

Xabi Alonso’s short-lived spell as Real Madrid coach unravelled amid heavy defeats in big games, dressing-room ego clashes, tactical inconsistency and a lack of trust in young talent. Despite arriving with pedigree after a historic spell at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso struggled to impose authority and clarity at Madrid, leading to his exit