‘It's Easier to Win the Champions League'-Alvaro Arbeloa Takes Fresh Swipe at La Liga
Álvaro Arbeloa has claimed it is easier for Real Madrid to win the Champions League than La Liga, while fuelling suggestions of a refereeing conspiracy against Los Blancos.
With 31 games played this season, Real Madrid sit second in the La Liga table, nine points behind leaders Barcelona. While the title is not yet wrapped up, the chances of Arbeloa's Madrid avoiding a rare trophy-less season now rest on the prospect of a Barça collapse.
Arbeloa, who took over from Xabi Alonso in January, has been unable to gain ground on the league leaders. A drab defeat 2–1 away to Mallorca was followed up by a 1–1 tie at home to Girona during a potentially season-defining month of April for Madrid. Meanwhile, elimination from the Champions League quarterfinals to Bayern Munich may well have sealed Arbeloa's own fate ahead of a summer of expected change at the Bernabéu.
The paradox for Real Madrid has been that league form has often not impacted their European runs, with the club winning almost as many European titles (six) across the last 20 years as league trophies (seven). Barcelona have won 11 league titles in the same time frame, while Madrid have not secured back-to-back La Liga titles since 2008.
Arbeloa Lays Blame on Referees Again
Speaking ahead of the clash with Deportivo Alavés on Tuesday, Arbeloa was asked about why Madrid have struggled to replicate their best form in the league.
He said: "Regarding our performance, we certainly have room for improvement in La Liga these past few years. I think we've performed better in the big matches these past few months than against less established opponents.
"If we're talking about these last three months, we have plenty of room for improvement. But we've also experienced situations like the Girona game, which makes it easier for Real Madrid to win a Champions League than a La Liga title."
Arbeloa was referring to the tie against Girona, during which Kylian Mbappé was felled in the penalty area in the 88th minute after taking a blow to the face from defender Vitor Reis. Referee Javier Alberola Rojas waved play on, while there was no VAR intervention for the incident that left Mbappé requiring three stitches above his eye.
Speaking after the game, Arbeloa said: "For me, it's a penalty here and on the moon, and it's just another one. Another week. That's how it is ... We've had plenty of issues with referees. The same old story."
Adding insult to injury for Mbappé and Madrid, Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) member Marta Frías later told Tiempo de Revisión that it was a "reckless" action, which "is subject to being penalized as a penalty."
Why Have Real Madrid Struggled in La Liga Compared to Europe?
While Arbeloa may hint at an agenda against Real Madrid in La Liga, opposition fans, meanwhile, will point to any number of incidents where Madrid have appeared to get favorable refereeing calls.
More likely than conspiracy, Europe has always simply been Madrid's true priority, and the club's ability to get up for the big nights in the Champions League, regardless of form, has fuelled a self-fulling sense of ownership over the competition, reignited after winning La Décima in 2014.
By contrast in the league this season, Madrid have struggled to foster the same drive. After Barcelona slipped up with defeat to Girona in February, Madrid-preoccupied by the Champions play-off against Benfica-responded with back-to back defeats to Osasuna and Getafe. Meanwhile, a dramatic 3–2 Madrid derby win last month and the chance to push on was followed up by the disappointments of Mallorca and Girona.
Looking at the bigger picture, the return of seven Madrid titles in 20 years has also coincided with perhaps the strongest level of competition in La Liga in modern times, including from Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘It's Easier to Win the Champions League'-Alvaro Arbeloa Takes Fresh Swipe at La Liga.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 11:05 AM.