REAL MADRID, Arbeloa: "Ajax are better and more dangerous now"

Arbeloa spoke to the media in the press room at the Amsterdam Arena where Real Madrid will play Ajax tomorrow in their second Group D match in the Champions League. The Madrid defender analysed their opponents, who won the last two Eredivisie titles: “We are in a very difficult group and we cannot afford to drop points in any games. We have to concentrate and go into the match knowing that it will be hard. We have watched videos of Ajax and the coach has explained that they are much more dangerous than in previous seasons and that we cannot get over confident. We are not thinking about previous matches”.

Regarding the relationship between the coach and the squad, the Madrid player was clear: “We have a lot of respect for Mourinho and we are mature enough that because of this and the trust we place in him, if there is something we are unhappy about we discuss it in private with him. We have a very good relationship with him”.

On the subject of reports that there are several cliques in the Real Madrid dressing room, Arbeloa said: “These reports do not help us, and if I say that the situation is the opposite, the people who make them will not believe me. I get on better with some people in this group than with others, but this happens everywhere. I do not have much to say about this. I suspect the people who say it really do not know us and do not know what happens in our dressing room. We are very close to each other and to the coach”.

Finally, asked about Sergio Ramos and the Özil shirt that he wore under his own in the second half of the match against Deportivo la Coruña, he said: “We realised in the second half because he was near the bench. He has explained why he put it on and we shouldn’t add anything else. He wanted to dedicate him a goal and that is all. I have told Sergio what I think and that is between the two of us”.