Álvaro Arbeloa, coach of the Real Madrid criticized the referee’s action after the expulsion of Eduardo Camavinga in the final minutes of the match against Bayern Munich, an action that – in his opinion— tipped a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie, which he described as “very nice and close.”
The white team arrived at the Allianz Arena with the obligation to overcome the 2-1 suffered in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. And he responded with character. From the start, Real Madrid came out determined to compete for a place in the semi-finals on an intense European night.
The meeting was an exchange of blows. Arda Güler put Madrid ahead in the first seconds after an error by Manuel Neuer, momentarily tying the tie. Bayern responded quickly with Aleksandar Pavlovic, but again Güler, with a free kick, restored the lead to the Whites. Harry Kane tied the score again and, before half-time, Kylian Mbappé made it 3-2, a result with which Real Madrid qualified thanks to 4-4 on aggregate.
In the second half, Bayern took a greater role, but Madrid resisted and found spaces to score. However, the breaking point came in the 86th minute, when Eduardo Camavinga was shown the red card after receiving a second yellow for holding the ball after committing a foul.
The decision unleashed the indignation of the Madrid coach, who did not hide his anger in statements to Movistar Plus. “You can’t send a player off for something like that. I think the referee didn’t know he had a card and he ruined a tie and a game that was very nice, even and at the top,” said Arbeloa.
With one man less, Real Madrid could not sustain Bayern’s final pressure. Three minutes later, Colombian Luis Díaz made it 3-3 with a shot from outside the area, a goal that put the Bavarian team ahead in the series. Already in added time, Michael Olise scored the final 4-3, which sealed the 6-4 aggregate score and Germany’s qualification for the semi-finals.
The merengue coach regretted that the efforts of his players were not enough to stay alive in Europe. “It was a great game for my players. I feel sorry for them, for the effort they have made, and for the Real Madrid fans who have come here and those who are at home. It hurts me because Real Madrid is not going to win the sixteenth this year,” he pointed out.
🗣️ Arbeloa, absolutely outraged with the expulsion of Camavinga!
“You can’t send a player off for that”
“The tie has been loaded.”
📺 See you at 12 midnight at MEGA. pic.twitter.com/j39OnuQHPA
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) April 15, 2026
Despite the elimination, Arbeloa was proud of the team’s commitment in one of the most intense qualifying rounds of the tournament. “I am very proud of what the team has done, of the work they have done. They have given their all and we return to Madrid with our shield because they have given everything.”
Likewise, he acknowledged that the team had clear options in the second half to end the match and assumed his part of the responsibility. “Just before the goal I made two changes that were not effective, because that goal ended everything,” he admitted.
Facing the end of the season, the coach sent a message of firmness, despite the difficulties also in the local championship. “Now it’s time to continue. This is Real Madrid. The League is very complicated, but we have to fight until the last day, until the season ends. We have a shield to defend,” he concluded.
