Pedja Mijatovic, who played for Real Madrid from 1996 to 1999 and was the club’s director of football from 2006 to 2009, spoke on the program ‘El Larguero’ about his feelings about Arbeloa’s Madrid after their 4-2 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League.
The 57-year-old former footballer told Cadena SER that “I saw a superior Benfica, faster, more alert and more eager”, and confessed that “I was sad, but above all quite worried. Real Madrid did not leave me with good feelings”.
“Despite the result, I didn’t see a team that knows what it’s playing for,” said the Montenegrin.
I was sad, but above all quite worried. Real Madrid did not leave me with good feelings
“Real Madrid entered a dynamic of ‘nothing’s wrong’, ‘we’ll get better’… And that’s very dangerous in football”
Pedja Mijatovic spoke to Manu Carreño about the “old ghosts” that haunt Real Madrid: “Did we see the old ghosts that we have already seen with Xabi Alonso and that last year we saw with Ancelotti? Yes… the same last year they did not manage to win anything and they entered into a dynamic of “we will fix it”, “it is temporary”, “it does not matter”, “we will improve”… And that in football is very dangerous. You can’t improve when you want to, for the results to come, the good vibes and the rhythm”.
“I think that Real Madrid, not now, but since last year, has entered the dynamic of ‘it’s okay, as we have won so many Champions League…’. In football and especially in Madrid, there are always many things happening. You always have to give more and more,” explained the former Partizan, Valencia, Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Levante player.
Mijatovic: “Real Madrid lack a leader and goals don’t make Mbappe a leader”
Pedja Mijatovic believes that the lack of a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room is holding back the current Real Madrid team.
Mbappe is a great footballer, but he is not a leader
“I think Real Madrid lack a leader and not a player who makes the difference. I don’t see a leader who says ‘what the hell are we doing?’. A Sergio Ramos, Modric, Benzema, Fernando Hierro, Raul… A leader who the camera focuses on,” he argued.
“In my generation the leader was Fernando Hierro, and when Fernando said something you had to do it”
The former footballer considers that “Mbappe is a great footballer, but he is not a leader. Zidane with France was not a leader but he was the best player. Goals do not make Mbappe a leader”.
Footballers act as if they are the best in the world and as if nothing is wrong. It’s tiredness, relaxation… I don’t see the spark and I don’t see anything
“In my generation the leader was Fernando Hierro, and when Fernando said something you had to do it no matter what,” he recalled.
Mijatovic: “It’s not the president’s fault: I think the players will have to wake up a bit”
Mijatovic does not believe that the blame for the bad situation lies with the coaches (Xabi Alonso first and Alvaro Arbeloa later) or the president (Florentino Perez), and pointed to the players.
“When Xabi Alonso had already left, I said that perhaps it was not a problem with the coach. And I still say it. Alvaro Arbeloa has come in, a coach who perhaps does not have enough experience, but who is a Madridista and who knows the players and the club, and again you see these symptoms of relaxation. And I think we have to start asking ourselves if this can be fixed by a coach. It’s not the president’s fault: I think the players will have to wake up a little and ask themselves how they can improve. Against Benfica you see that they lose a ball and they don’t seem to care, they act as if they were the best in the world and as if nothing happened. It’s tiredness, relaxation… I don’t see the spark and I don’t see anything,” he said.
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