#8 Alvaro Arbeloa’s grand farewell
Matchday 37 and Real Madrid scraped through with a 3-2 win at home against Valencia thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo double to keep them in contention for the title. The match though, was a special occasion for Madridistas all around the world as a hometown hero was playing his last game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Alvaro Arbeloa has always been loved by the Madrid faithful for his no-nonsense approach as well as his fighting spirit, symbolizing his Madrid DNA. He has been ousted out of the first team thanks to Dani Carvajal and Danilo in recent years, but still remains a fond character.
Having been sold to Deportivo and then Liverpool, before being bought back following his impressive performances, he had been a mainstay in the Los Blancos and Spain national team for years together. Having managed to win all the accolades for club and country, it has been a great career.
During the game, while leading 3-1, Zidane chose to substitute star man Ronaldo for Arbeloa and the player got to play one last time on the Bernabeu turf. Once the game was over, he was raised by all the players and given a rousing send off, a fitting farewell for a fan favorite.
It was somewhat disappointing for the other fans though, as they argued why didn’t Iker Casillas, a club legend and one of the best players ever, not receive such a farewell when he left last season. Nonetheless, it was a memorable day for the Madrid youth product, one he’s sure to never forget.
