Six goals in a fine Champions League performance against Monaco helped temporarily ease the tension at the Santiago Bernabéu, but it may take a 16th European title for a sense of satisfaction to sweep through the Spanish capital.
Carlo Ancelotti’s final year at the helm was a chastening one for Florentino Pérez, and although he pulled the plug early on Xabi Alonso’s project, there’s clearly belief within the club that Álvaro Arbeloa is capable of leading Real Madrid to the promised land this season and beyond.
