The journalist delivered a harsh critique on La Tribu regarding Real Madrid’s current state after their defeat in El Clásico and Barcelona’s title win.
Roberto Gómez: “Arbeloa was crushed; it has been proven that he was neither prepared nor capable.”
During his appearance on La Tribu, Roberto Gómez launched a scathing attack on the current landscape of Spanish football, with special focus on Real Madrid’s struggles. Speaking alongside Raúl Varela, he pointed directly at Álvaro Arbeloa following the white team’s loss in El Clásico and Barcelona’s championship triumph.
“Arbeloa, crushed,” Gómez began, before delivering a devastating reflection on the coach’s demeanor. “Where is that cocky, defiant Arbeloa who used to show up in press conferences so arrogant? He seemed like an oracle,” the journalist remarked.
Álvaro Arbeloa and Hansi Flick. LAPRESSE
Gómez insisted that the coach was severely exposed after what happened, adding that the situation has clearly gotten the better of him. “Yesterday he was shattered, defeated, because he knows the situation has overwhelmed him. Now it’s clear he was neither prepared nor capable,” he stated during his analysis of Madrid’s crisis.
A Real Madrid “in shambles”
Gómez made it clear that Real Madrid’s sporting situation is deeply troubling. He claimed the team “practically didn’t show up” for El Clásico against Barça, singling out only Thibaut Courtois for praise.
“Real Madrid is in shambles all around,” Gómez said on La Tribu. “Thank goodness for Courtois – he’s undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the world and the best player they’ve had this season.” He lamented the image the club is projecting at this stage of the campaign.
Gómez also addressed the absences of Kylian Mbappé and Florentino Pérez. “Madrid fans are criticizing that Mbappé didn’t attend, but neither did president Florentino Pérez,” he noted.
“A tremendously dark season”
Beyond Real Madrid, the journalist offered a harsh assessment of the overall level of Spanish football this campaign. He described the season as “a very bad football year,” enumerating the issues that have defined it.
BARCELONA, 10/05/2026 – LaLiga president Javier Tebas in the Camp Nou box before the start of the Clásico. EFE/Enric Fontcuberta
“Teams are bad, clubs are bad, players are average, too many injuries, referees are poor, the VAR is disastrous,” he said, before insisting there are “very few positives.” Nevertheless, he congratulated Barcelona on the league title, acknowledging that “they were the rightful winners.”
“It has been a dark season: bad teams, bad referees, disastrous VAR,” Gómez repeated on La Tribu. Wrapping up, he summed up his view with another forceful statement: “There are very few positives, and it’s been a tremendously dark season, a bad year for Spanish football.”