Four days ago I published the Real Madrid Castilla mid-season review, detailing the progress of Álvaro Arbeloa and his young players. Whilst writing this piece, it was important to acknowledge the likelihood that Arbeloa would not see out the season with Castilla – due to the turbulence surrounding Xabi Alonso’s time at the club – and that over the coming months he would be hastily drafted into the first team position in an attempt to save the day. Little did anyone know that these developments would not take months, nor even days. Four hours later, Xabi was out – and Álvaro Arbeloa was the new Real Madrid first team manager. Now that the last four days have encompassed more chaos and drama than the entire first half of the season put together, where does that leave Castilla now?
The New Man: Julián López
January marks the start of a new chapter for Castilla – under a new, relatively unknown head coach. It took three days for the club to find their man, but the appointment was a predictable one. Juvenil A manager Julián López de Lerma has been handed the reins. Despite a modest career in the professional game as a player, Julián López isn’t a big-name former star – but that may just spark a refreshing change.
After more than a decade of former Real Madrid players being appointed to the Castilla bench (some with strong personalities and ideas) the club has now opted for a quieter figure – and one that has earned his stripes in the background, through time actually spent in the field. He’s not the ex-icon with overinflated ambition who commands headlines or player loyalty on reputation alone. Instead, he represents a return to coaching fundamentals: player development, tactical clarity and humility. The last factor representing something this club desperately needs right now. Starting his coaching career with the academy of Espanyol, his work with Juvenil A and B since his arrival has shown promise, with good records to match – and several of Castilla’s players will already know him well. Perhaps the most exciting part is that I know little about him as a coach, so the possibilities feel wide open. Who knows – just under half of the first team coaches this century having coached Castilla prior, we might just be looking at a future Real Madrid manager.
Squad Reinforcements: A Must
Whether Julián López succeeds at Castilla, especially this season, could largely depend on the remainder of January. With the transfer window in full swing, the team must now quickly recalibrate after losing its project manager: there will need to be a slight staff structure rebuild, and obvious gaps in the squad will need to be plugged to remain in play-off contention. On that last point, there is some good news to share…
Coaching changes haven’t been the only thing to affect Castilla in the last four days. Today, the loan signing of 18-year-old striker Adrián Arnu became official – arriving from second division side Real Valladolid, where he featured regularly. The Spanish youth international appears supremely technical, and could prove to be a real coup for a reserve side that has lacked attacking options throughout the season so far. At the half-way point of the transfer window, this shows real intent – but it shouldn’t stop there.
Castilla still have just one natural winger, and one left-back in the entire squad. With plenty of games to go, and injuries mounting, tactical flexibility is needed more than ever, and the current roster is no longer tenable. Fortunately, the solution could be obvious and inexpensive: recall wingers Jeremy De León and Babacar Diocou from their respective loan spells. Both have fared okay with their temporary homes, with Jeremy slowly gaining trust at Hercules – and Baba, who I didn’t rate after appearances last year, appearing to have improved after absolutely destroying Castilla in their last fixture (4-1 loss to Arenas de Getxo). Both would be able to at least fill a pair of boots as a backup, and offer ready-made, familiar profiles to boost Castilla’s flanks with immediate effect, taking the squad from one available winger, to three.
The club should also aim to bring in a true left-back, a position left dangerously thin since the summer. Manu Serrano has not convinced, and overusing makeshift solutions will only hurt Castilla as the season wears on. If the two winger recalls happen, combined with a signing or two (ideally a versatile left-back) – then suddenly, the play-offs should be the least of their ambitions. With 15 days remaining of the market, Castilla need to act now if they want to be more than just passengers in the play-off race.
Álvaro Arbeloa
Álvaro Arbeloa’s promotion to the first team was a move that shocked many, but confirmed the club’s intention to restore institutional control over the dugout. A likeable figure and emerging coach, his time at Castilla was slowly beginning to blossom, but he leaves with the job unfinished. More worryingly, his move upward appears rooted less in merit than convenience. The board needed an agreeable figure – someone publicly obedient and structurally compliant. Arbeloa certainly fit the bill. His tactical philosophy will not fit with Real Madrid, and even if they did – would it work? Worse, this promotion could jeopardise both his development and long-term standing at the club. The first team job is notoriously unforgiving, especially when taken under chaotic circumstances. Should things somehow worsen or tensions rise, Arbeloa could find himself out of favour just as quickly as he was appointed, leaving his coaching journey prematurely burnt. His early tenure has already stumbled, with a disastrous Copa del Rey exit to Albacete and an underwhelming media debut that did little to ease fan concerns. All the best very best to him, and I hope it can end as positively as possible.
For Castilla and the academy, this is good news, though. Jorge Cestero and David Jiménez started the Albacete game, with five more Castilla players filling the bench. His second squad, for the La Liga encounter with Levante, contains six Castilla players. It will be like this for the remainder of his time here – and if Álvaro Leiva, a player who couldn’t even gain Arbeloa’s trust at Castilla, can now get a look in with the first team – then every young player at the club should all of a sudden be brimming with confidence and hope.
Where Can Castilla Finish?
Castilla’s mid-season reset could easily derail them. But for now, it opens a new window, and one that gives clarity to a messy situation. All things considered, the play-offs remain a very real goal. Castilla are fourth, and the lack of quality in the division is painfully clear. If Castilla can further strengthen the roster, even modestly in January – the play-offs should be the aim. They have the talent (Palacios and co.), and now they need some consistency mixed with a touch of ambition from the club to give López the tools he needs. No further developments, and Arbeloa’s (good) tendency to whisk young players away into the first team squad would leave options looking incredibly thin – risking a slow slide down toward the mid-table crowd. Hopefully chaos of the past week only changes the storyline, not the destination. As always, Inside Castilla will follow every twist and turn – with podcast episodes on the season so far and Arbeloa incoming. Arbeloa is gone, but the squad remains talented, the league remains open, and the players remain hungry.