On Saturday, Real Madrid players were booed loudly at half-time during their match against Levante (2-0), second from bottom in La Liga, which they ultimately won in the second half. The fans’ anger seems justified after the team’s embarrassing elimination from the Copa del Rey, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s men did not appreciate it.
Real Madrid fans believe they support the best club in the world and are therefore demanding. At the Santiago Bernabéu, some of the greatest players in history have been booed, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the recent past.
The Madrid crowd never hesitates to wave white handkerchiefs when it feels necessary, and it proved this once again on Saturday before, during and after the 2-0 win over Levante, who are second from bottom in La Liga.
Legitimate anger
This time, the anger seems legitimate: Xabi Alonso, supported by a large section of the fans, was dismissed from his position just 24 hours after the Spanish Super Cup final defeat to FC Barcelona (2-3). His replacement, Álvaro Arbeloa, got off to a sad start, crashing out in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey against Albacete (2-3), a second division side. The boos were therefore to be expected, as were the white handkerchiefs.
As mentioned above, the greatest players in Madrid’s history have been through this. CR7 and company have always said they ‘understand’ the fans’ anger, before turning boos into applause thanks to their talent. This is something that the Galacticos of 2026, who were powerless in a first half that ended 0-0, have not (yet) managed to do. But rather than getting back to work, they clearly prefer to complain.
Sadness, surprise and disappointment for the players
According to information from Cadena Cope, confirmed by the main Madrid newspapers, Alvaro Arbeloa’s men did not appreciate the boos heard at half-time. Three words define the Merengue’s state of mind in the face of the boos: sadness, surprise and disappointment. The players were certainly expecting boos, but only at the start of the match, just to make a point. After that, they hoped to be supported and encouraged, despite losing two titles in two matches.
According to our colleagues, one phrase was repeated many times in the dressing room: ‘If you only applaud in moments of glory, but you’re not there in defeat, you were never one of us.’ Are the Madrid players out of touch with reality? After their surprise, even shameful, elimination against Albacete, the fans’ anger seems more than justified. And a victory against the second-to-last team in the league is not enough.
