Álvaro Arbeloa on LaLiga refs: 'Easier for Real Madrid to win the Champions League'

Álvaro Arbeloa said on Monday that "it's easier for Real Madrid to win the Champions League than LaLiga," hinting that Spanish referees are, in part, to blame for the club underperforming domestically. Madrid go into Tuesday's game with Alavés nine points behind leaders Barcelona , and were left fuming after their last league game on April 10, when Kylian Mbappé was denied a penalty which might have helped them avoid a 1-1 draw. Over the last 20 years, Madrid have won LaLiga seven times -- most recently in 2024 -- while in the same period winning six Champions League trophies. "There's a reason, and it's easy for many to see," Arbeloa said in a news conference on Monday, when asked to explain those respective records. "We certainly have room for improvement in LaLiga in recent years, and in these past few months, I think we've performed better in the big, difficult games than against