Franco Mastantuono has been the focus of criticism after a childish sending-off against Getafe last weekend and a suspension that left him off the pitch for two games.
This, of course, sparked criticism of the former River Plate player, but his coach Álvaro Arbeloa came to his defense, showing great confidence in the young Argentine and his squad.
Arbeloa mentions the case of Vinicius to defend Mastantuono
Real Madrid will face Celta Vigo in LaLiga matchday 27 on Friday, March 6. They are coming off two consecutive defeats and will need a victory to calm nerves and renew the fans’ faith in the team.
At a press conference prior to the game, the coach did not ignore the current slump: “Defeat is always difficult to deal with, but right now the only thing we are thinking about is tomorrow’s game,” he said.
However, in addition to these two defeats, there is the controversy sparked by one of his players in the match against Getafe. Mastantuono was sent off for insulting the referee by saying “what a shame,” which cost him a two-game suspension. This only reignited criticism of him, who has been playing few minutes lately (no more than 33% of the minutes in the last 10 games).
Arbeloa did not ignore this situation and came to his defense, assuring that at 18 years old and taking his first steps in the league and at the club, it is normal for him to make mistakes while learning. To explain this, he gave the example of Vinicius:
“With Huijsen or Mastantuono, I am very clear. The Juvenil A team is full of players Mastantuono’s age, and Huijsen could be playing for Castilla, given his age. I remember what was said about Vinicius when he arrived, and look at him now,” Álvaro explained. “We have to be very patient. Playing for Real Madrid means playing for the most demanding club in the world; it’s not like any other,” he added.
The truth is that when Vini arrived at Madrid, he missed a lot of goals and was heavily criticized, but over time he improved and is now one of the best players on the team. For this reason, Arbeloa believes that Mastantuono could have a similar development if given time.
The Real Madrid coach therefore asked for calm, not to judge young talents too quickly, and to assess the performance of two of the four signings this season:
“They have my full confidence and a lot of ability. I would love for the fans to understand what each player is like. Take care of them, encourage them, and above all, demand hard work and effort from them. Encourage them to make mistakes, because they will; soccer is a sport of mistakes. We have great nights ahead of us with them.”
Meanwhile, Franco will not play against Celta Vigo tomorrow or next weekend against Elche at the Bernabéu. If Arbeloa so decides, he could have the Argentine available for the Champions League ties against Manchester City, and even for the match against Atlético Madrid on March 22.
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