Alvaro Arbeloa’s long history of Clasico provocations, including that exchange with Gerard Pique

AlavésAthletic ClubAtlético MadridBarcelonaCelta de VigoElcheEspanyolGetafeGironaLevanteMallorcaOsasunaRayo VallecanoReal BetisReal MadridReal OviedoReal SociedadSevillaValenciaVillarrealPodcastsCopa del ReyAlvaro Arbeloa’s long history of Clasico provocations, including that exchange with Gerard PiqueArbeloa will take charge of his first Clasico as coach at the Camp Nou on Sunday Denis Doyle/Getty Images Share article“They’re laughing in our faces. Lamentable,” wrote Alvaro Arbeloa on X in August 2017, when it was still called Twitter. Arbeloa had recently retired as a player, having spent most of his career as a tough defender with Real Madrid, and was soon to start his coaching career in the club’s youth academy. The tweet came late in a Supercopa de Espana final first leg at Barcelona, responding to Cristiano Ronaldo being shown two quick yellow cards. The first was for ripping off his jersey to celebrate putting Madrid 2-1 ahead. The second came moments later, when he was judged to have dived to try and win a penalty. The drama continued with Marco Asensio scoring in the 90th minute to seal a 3-1 victory for 10-man Madrid. Arbeloa celebrated joyfully with his social media followers. “Not even with 12,” he tweeted, claiming the referee had been on Barcelona’s side. By that time, Arbeloa’s playing career had already established his reputation for combative provocation towards Barca and their fans. On Sunday, the 43-year-old visits the Camp Nou for the first time as Real Madrid manager. Over 14 Clasicos in a Madrid shirt, his physical approach regularly upset Barca players, including several of his Spain team-mates from the sides that won two European Championships and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012. The most intense clashes came during Jose Mourinho’s three seasons on the Bernabeu bench from 2010 to 2013, when the Portuguese manager was willing to use every possible weapon he could to gain an advantage. Arbeloa, his ‘Spartan’ full-back, was among his most loyal soldiers. However, Arbeloa himself has maintained that Barcelona’s players, after their 5-0 Clasico win in November 2010, raised the temperature first. In a 2014 interview with Spanish magazine Jot Down, he said a photo of Barca centre-back Gerard Pique making a manita gesture (holding up five fingers, one for each goal scored) was used as motivation for Madrid’s 1-0 Copa del Rey final victory in April 2011. “After a heavy defeat like that, their comments hurt us a lot, they affected us psychologically. But then we were able to beat them in the Copa del Rey,” he said. In that final, Arbeloa appeared to stamp on Barcelona forward David Villa, another Spain team-mate. “I kicked Villa a lot harder when we trained together than during those Clasicos,” Arbeloa recalled with a smile a few months later, although Spain coach Vicente del Bosque always publicly frowned on incidents that might upset the atmosphere in his squad. After Mourinho left Madrid in 2013, Arbeloa was rarely a regular starter for the team, but he continued to act as a semi-official defender of the club’s values and reputation. One such instance came when Madrid were eliminated from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player (Denis Cheryshev) at Cadiz in December 2015, under Rafa Benitez. After Barca defender Pique tweeted his glee at Madrid’s situation, Arbeloa responded sarcastically: “Someday I’ll see my friend Gerard on the Comedy Club, talking about Real Madrid for sure.” Pique returned the jibe in comical fashion a few days later in another mixed zone interview. “I wouldn’t call (Arbeloa) a friend, more an acquaintance,” he said. The joke was in the original Spanish. In his deliberately syncopated pronunciation of conocido (acquaintance), Pique was making a clear reference to Barca fans nicknaming Arbeloa cono — as he was supposedly about as much use as a cone, on a football pitch. For years, the two defenders continued to trade barbs over social media and in post-match comments. In April 2016, Arbeloa joked that Barcelona needed referees’ assistance to win games after they lost at Real Sociedad. Pique responded by pointing out that Arbeloa now rarely featured for Madrid. “If at some point I’m no longer a protagonist on the pitch, I’d ask my friends not to let me become one off it,” the Catalan said. When asked by Madrid-supporting online publication La Galerna in 2016 why they had become embroiled in a feud, Arbeloa said: “I could explain to everyone why I’m not Pique’s friend. Maybe that would not make him look good, but I respect his family, even if he does not respect mine.” After Arbeloa’s playing career ended, he continued to act as an unofficial spokesperson for Real Madrid, regularly arguing that Spanish referees favoured Barcelona. This included backing Madrid president Florentino Perez’s call for an overhaul of La Liga’s refereeing establishment, in comments made soon after Ronaldo’s red card at the Camp Nou back in August 2017. “It hurts to see Real Madrid picking up the same number of red cards in three games as Barcelona in more than two seasons,” Arbeloa said at a publicity event for a club sponsor. “The stats are objective and speak for themselves. Referees can make mistakes, but not always mistakes in the same direction.” Since being appointed Madrid coach in January, Arbeloa has again regularly questioned match officials, and made multiple references to Barca being under investigation for payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee. “Nobody understands how the Caso Negreira, the biggest scandal (ever) in Spanish football, is still not resolved,” Arbeloa said at a pre-match press conference in early February. “I believe that should worry many people.” Meanwhile, Pique recently recalled their exchanges by referencing his cone comment on a huge advert in Madrid’s city centre, promoting the King’s League seven-a-side football format of which he is president. 😳 ¡Piqué se burla de Arbeloa en pleno centro de Madrid para presentar la nueva temporada de la Kings League! 🔥 Gerard Piqué ha desplegado una pancarta en el centro de Madrid con un mensaje ‘directo’ para el entrenador ✍️ @SergiGraell https://t.co/IYVktH0uPB pic.twitter.com/I2gSC9g8i7 — Diario SPORT (@sport) February 25, 2026 This continued sparring has ensured that Arbeloa’s relationship with Barcelona has remained in focus ahead of his first Clasico as coach. Last week, The Athletic reported that Perez was seriously considering replacing Arbeloa with Mourinho for next season. That also brought back memories of the Portuguese’s behaviour around Clasicos over a decade ago. Arbeloa has refused to be drawn on that possibility, beyond saying that he will do whatever is best for Real Madrid. But it remains very possible that this weekend brings his only chance to sit on the Camp Nou bench as the club’s manager. The circumstances might well add another layer to home celebrations, if Barcelona avoid defeat to seal another La Liga title. Everyone at Madrid meanwhile, would enjoy being able to deny Hansi Flick’s side that opportunity, particularly Arbeloa. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms