Franco Mastantuono Reveals ‘Fundamental’ Real Madrid Improvement Alvaro Arbeloa Has Made

A slow adjustment has already prompted questions about the Argentine’s future in Madrid.

Franco Mastantuono is still finding his feet in Madrid. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Franco Mastantuono hailed new Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa for giving him the confidence which was not always present under former boss Xabi Alonso.

The €45 million ($53.8 million) summer signing has already netted twice under Arbeloa, doubling his tally from Alonso’s tenure in 13 fewer games, and admitted he was “totally grateful” to the new manager for allowing him to “play more freely.”

“Álvaro and his entire coaching staff instilled a lot of confidence in me, which I think is fundamental for a player,” he told DSports. “They gave me a lot of confidence, they showed it to me, and that’s great for me. I’m playing more freely because of it. I’m totally grateful to this coaching staff for that.

“Also to Xabi and his staff; they trusted me to be here, but well, Álvaro is a great coach who is helping us a lot. I think that’s how we’re going to achieve the goals we have in mind.”

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Mastantuono’s Mixed Run Under Alonso

Xabi Alonso struggled to bring the best out of Mastantuono consistently. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

When Mastantuono joined Madrid last summer, he was eager to credit Alonso for the role played in encouraging him to move to the Bernabéu. Paris Saint-Germain wanted the 18-year-old, but Madrid flexed their muscles and got a deal done instead.

Billed initially as an immediate starter, Mastantuono was awarded that prominence right off the bat, starting four of Madrid’s first six La Liga games and the opening two Champions League fixtures. To start with, things went well, becoming the club’s fourth-youngest goalscorer ever and breaking Endrick’s record for the youngest player to start for the club in Europe.

However, as was the case with nearly every Madrid player, the wheels soon fell off for Mastantuono as a mixture of poor form and injury sent him back to the bench until Alonso’s departure midway through January.

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Mastantuono’s Statistics Under Alonso

Statistic	Value
Games Played	17
Starts	10
Goals	1
Assists	1

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What the Future Holds for Mastantuono at Real Madrid

Mastantuono is excited for a future with Álvaro Arbeloa. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Arbeloa clearly joined Madrid at a tender time, taking charge of a dressing room which was understandably reeling from an underwhelming start to the season, the departure of a manager and plenty of doubts about their ability to cope with the weight of the badge.

As one of the most inexperienced players in the dressing room, Mastantuono needed an extra layer of emotional support from Arbeloa, who has gleefully provided the encouragement the Argentine needs to showcase his best form.

In the recent 2–0 win over Villarreal, which Mastantuono started, the 18-year-old looked back to his best, and his effort on both sides of the ball really stood out. He recorded his first two interceptions of the season and added five tackles for good measure, sacrificing himself for the good of the team.

Madrid fans recognize effort like that and Arbeloa will have taken notice as well. Sure, the end product needs to be there, but when you’ve got a star-studded forward line of Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior alongside you, an industrious player like Mastantuono could be the ideal fit.

Former Madrid favorite Ángel Di Maria, a fellow Argentina international, has clearly already been won over.

“They’ve compared him to me, but he has much more quality than I did and much better dribbling,” the winger told AS. “He’s top level.

“He’s also been criticized and written off when things weren’t going well, like Xabi, but he has his whole career ahead of him. He’s better now, playing more, and he’ll grow a lot, which is easy when you’re surrounded by the best.”

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