In this exclusive interview with Flashscore, Caparros shares his thoughts on Arbeloa's arrival on the Real Madrid bench, following the departure of Xabi Alonso.
You know Alvaro Arbeloa very well, as he began his professional career under your guidance at Deportivo La Coruna. How do you see his development as a coach?
"He was a central defender, but I also played him at right-back a few times. As a coach, he doesn’t have a lot of experience yet, except that he’s worked his way up through all the youth levels at Real Madrid.
"Whether it was with Infantil A, Juvenil A, or Castilla, the results have been there. As a player, he was a true professional, always training at 100%.
"I didn’t get to work with him for long because after six months, Liverpool came in and Rafa Benitez signed him. He was a very dedicated young man, always listening to the coaching staff and correcting himself.
"He lived for football, and that’s essential in his new career. It’s a very tough job, but also a beautiful one."
Read more: Arbeloa insists he will be himself at Real Madrid
He said he learned a lot from you and that his time at Deportivo was very valuable for him...
"Yes, and it’s interesting to note that he shared the dressing room with Filipe Luis, who also joined after a spell at Real Madrid (on loan from Ajax, who then sold him to Deportivo). That allowed him to start out in the first division."
Arbeloa was known as a tough player, and he’s also seen as a tough coach, at least from what’s been said about his time with Real Madrid’s youth teams, right?
"His advantage is that he knows exactly what the Real Madrid dressing room is like - a top-level environment with world-class players. He’s experienced the demands of this club firsthand, both as a player and as Castilla’s coach.
"But it was especially as a player that he saw the constant pressure to win and to always give 100%. Now he’ll have to prove he can bring that same mentality as the club’s coach. He’ll need results to build confidence and credibility."
So, finally, is it more about people than football?
"A coach always has to adapt to the players he has, according to his ideas. But what doesn’t change is his methodology and the way he develops his group.
"He’ll need to know how to manage that, because this isn’t just any dressing room."
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