Blame me, says Arbeloa, as Real Madrid crash out of Copa del Rey

ALBACETE, Spain, Jan 14 : New coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he was not afraid of failure as he took the blame for Real Madrid's stunning 3-2 defeat to second-division Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Wednesday.

Arbeloa endured a nightmare start to his managerial career at Real after taking charge of the Spanish giants following Xabi Alonso's departure on Monday.

The shock result capped a dismal week for the club, who also lost 3-2 to Barcelona in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final.

The 42-year-old Arbeloa inherits a side four points adrift of their arch-rivals Barcelona in LaLiga and now out of the Copa del Rey.

Speaking after the humbling result at a misty Carlos Belmonte stadium, the former Real Madrid defender took full responsibility for the defeat but insisted that brighter days lay ahead.

"At this club, a draw is always bad, a tragedy. It's painful, and I'm sure all our fans are hurting," Arbeloa told reporters. "I am responsible and to blame. As for the line-up and the substitutions, I can only thank the players. Now we have to recover for Saturday."

Arbeloa's decision to rest several first-team stars came under scrutiny as Madrid struggled against an organised and determined Albacete side. Despite the result, Arbeloa doubled down on his choices.

"I don't regret it. I was convinced that the squad I brought was the right one," he asserted. "The players we had formed a great team. I would make the same decision a thousand times over. It's difficult for players to adapt to everything I've asked of them in just one day. We also have many players who need to recover physically."

NO FEAR OF FAILURE

Madrid's second consecutive loss in less than a week was a blow for Arbeloa, but the manager remained steadfast in his belief