REAL MADRID have been stunned in the Copa Del Rey after being eliminated by second tier side Albacete Balompié.
Albacete played host to the Spanish giants in the Round of 16 in the Spanish Cup on Wednesday evening.
Madrid were looking to lick their wounds after losing the Supercopa de Espana against Barcelona on Sunday.
The game also resulted in Xabi Alonso stepping down from his position as Real Madrid manager, with Alvaro Arbeloa being named as his replacement just eight minutes after announcing the former midfielder’s departure.
But hopes of Arbeloa getting off to a good start were dashed as Los Blancos crashed out to lower-league opposition for the first time since 2020/21 when they were beaten by CD Alcoyano.
Javi Villar scored the opener for the hosts in the 42nd minute, but Madrid hit back on the stroke of half-time through France Mastantuono.
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The deadlock remained until the 82nd minute when super-sub loanee Jefte Betancor scored in the 82nd minute.
Madrid looked to have forced extra-time in the tie through Gonzalo Garcia’s 91st-minute equaliser.
However, former Madrid youth player and career journeyman Betancor put a pin in those plans just three minutes later by chipping the ball into the net with a cross-cum-shot which deceived Andriy Lunin in the Madrid net.
There were jubilant scenes at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte as players and coaching staff ran over to celebrate the goal.
The full-time whistle went moments later, confirming the result as one for the history books.
Speaking after the game, Arbeloa, who had named a young team and subbed on a number of players from the club’s Castilla reserve side he had been elevated from, labelled the defeat a “tragedy”.
The World Cup winner and former Madrid and Liverpool star said: “A draw in this club is already bad, it’s a tragedy, so imagine a defeat like this.
“Even more so when you do it against an opponent from a lower category. If anyone is responsible, it is me.
“I’m the one who has made the decisions in terms of the line-up, on how we wanted to play and the changes – and I can only thank the players for the welcome they’ve given me and for getting back in shape physically and mentally.”
The likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were not present in the squad at all, although names such as Vinicius Jr and Federico Valverde were on the pitch.
Arbeloa admitted he was sure he had picked the “right squad”.
He added: “Failure is on the way to success, for me they are not in opposite directions.
“This is going to make me improve, we have a lot of improvement to do but I’m not afraid of failure.
“I’ve failed many times in my life. I’ve suffered cup eliminations worse than this, and I have all the spirit of returning tomorrow to Valdebebas to work with my players.”
Madrid host Levante in La Liga at the weekend in front of what will be an expectant Bernabeu after two bitterly disappointing defeats in the space of four days.
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