MADRID, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa set an ambitious target on Monday as he looked ahead to the end of a season in which both he and several players still have much to prove.
"We have to win the last seven matches," Arbeloa said at his press conference ahead of Tuesday's La Liga game at home to Deportivo Alaves.
Tuesday's match will be Real Madrid's first since its Champions League exit to Bayern Munich, and with Arbeloa's side nine points behind FC Barcelona in La Liga, attention is firmly focused on his long-term future as well as that of several players, including Fran Garcia, Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz.
"At Real Madrid, losing isn't acceptable... because we know the demands of this club and we always have to look to the future to win," admitted Arbeloa, who was asked whether he expected to keep his job beyond the end of the season.
"It's a decision that's not up to me. I'm not worried about my future at all. I'm worried about these seven matches, and especially tomorrow," he replied.
Arbeloa insisted that whether he is sacked or not is a "club decision," but added that he was "in direct communication with the club every week and I have a great relationship with them."
"The only future I'm concerned about is tomorrow," he continued, adding that the final seven games of the season were "more important matches than they might seem," ahead of the summer.
The coach reflected on two seasons in which Real Madrid has failed to win the Copa del Rey, La Liga or the Champions League and admitted there was "certainly room for improvement in La Liga."
"I think we've performed better in the big matches these past few months than against less established opponents," he said, referring to the recent 1-1 home draw with Girona before the defeat in Munich.
"We've experienced situations like the Girona game, which makes it easier for Real Madrid to win a Champions League than a La Liga title," he explained. ■
