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Real Madrid players react after Albacete scored its second goal during the Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Albacete and Real Madrid, in Albacete. (AP Photo)
When Real Madrid changed their manager earlier this week, hoping for a change of fortunes, this is not what they would have expected. In his first game in charge after replacing Xabi Alonso in the hotseat at Real Madrid, Álvaro Arbeloa saw his side being dumped out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16 stage by a second-division club Albacete, thanks to a 3-2 defeat on Wednesday that was termed as “hitting rock bottom” by club captain Dani Carvajal.
Arbeloa himself did not hold back criticism after the defeat pointing out that at a club of Real Madrid’s stature, “even a draw is bad, a tragedy, imagine a defeat like this, especially against a lower-division opponent.”
Carvajal, meanwhile, apologized to the club faithful, who have a track record of being unsparing in the face of defeat.
“Today we hit rock bottom. We’ve been knocked out by a Segunda División team and congratulations to them,” Carvajal told the media after the defeat. “From tomorrow, we have to be self-critical individually and collectively. We still have time to turn the season around. We have two fantastic competitions to fight for. The team isn’t at its best right now and we have to work hard.
THE SCENES IN ALBACETE AFTER THEY BEAT REAL MADRID FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
REAL MADRID ARE OUT OF THE COPA DEL REY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8WwIE67qD1
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 14, 2026
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“We all have to give a lot more and that is the reality. That’s the message: we have to go all out. We also apologise to the fans and we are not, myself first, at the level and expectations of this club. We promise to give our all in the games over the next few months so that the situation can be reversed,” said Carvajal, who entered the game in the second half.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, left, and head coach Alvaro Arbeloa during the Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Albacete and Real Madrid, in Albacete. (AP Photo)
Real Madrid were coming into the game off a 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The club is facing an uphill battle in the LaLiga as they trail Barcelona by four points at the halfway point in the Spanish league. Real Madrid also sit in seventh place in the league phase of the Champions League.
Albacete, meanwhile, are 17th in the 22-team second-division standings and were on a run of five consecutive games without victory in all competitions before defeating Real Madrid.
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Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior reacts at the end of the Copa del Rey round of 16 soccer match between Albacete and Real Madrid, in Albacete on Wednesday. (AP Photo)
Albacete scored the first goal of the night with Javier Villar scoring off a corner kick in the 42nd. Franco Mastantuono equalized from close range three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Betancor put Albacete back in front in the 82nd with a shot from inside the area after the Madrid defense failed to fully clear a cross into the box.
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