Real Madrid Parts Ways with Xabi Alonso, Appoints Alvaro Arbeloa as New Coach

Less than 24 hours after suffering a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Real Madrid has made the decision to part ways with former Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who joined the club last summer.

The Santiago Bernabeu club released a statement emphasizing that this decision was reached by mutual agreement and expressed best wishes for Alonso’s future endeavors. The statement read:

“Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach. Xabi Alonso will always hold the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans due to his status as a Real Madrid legend and his embodiment of the club’s values. Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this period and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

When Madrid triumphed over Barcelona in late October, they were comfortably positioned at the top of La Liga, maintaining a five-point lead over their fiercest rivals. However, a series of poor performances has left them struggling in the Champions League and trailing Barcelona by four points. Questions regarding Alonso’s future had been raised for over a month, with speculation linking them to former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should Alonso’s situation not improve. Furthermore, reports of unrest within the dressing room and players’ hesitance to fully embrace Alonso’s strategies have compounded the challenges he faced. In November, Alonso acknowledged the pressures of managing a club of such magnitude, stating:

“It’s demanding. I’m not the first coach who has had to deal with these situations. I think about what Carlo [Ancelotti] or Mourinho would do, [Manuel] Pellegrini too. It isn’t new. You have to know how to live with it.”

Now, Alonso will no longer have to navigate such pressures.

In the wake of Alonso’s departure, Real Madrid swiftly announced that Alvaro Arbeloa will take over as the new first team coach. Arbeloa has had considerable success coaching the club’s B team and now steps into what is arguably the most significant coaching role available.

The club’s statement regarding Arbeloa noted:

“Real Madrid C. F. announces that Alvaro Arbeloa is the new coach of the first team. Alvaro Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has spent his entire coaching career within the Real Madrid youth academy since 2020. He coached Infantil A during the 2020-2021 season, leading them to a league championship, then guided Cadete A in 2021-2022, and Juvenil A from 2022 to 2025, where he achieved a treble in the 2022-2023 season (League, Copa del Rey, and Champions Cup) and secured La Liga in the 2024-2025 season.

“As a player, Alvaro Arbeloa was part of Real Madrid during one of its most successful periods, representing the club from 2009 to 2016 in 238 official matches. During his tenure, he captured eight titles, including two UEFA Champions League trophies, one Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one La Liga title, two Copa del Rey titles, and one Spanish Super Cup. With the Spanish national team, Arbeloa was also part of a historic era, winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012), earning 56 caps in total.”

Real Madrid has limited time to reflect on these developments as they prepare for six matches within a span of just over two weeks. Arbeloa’s first challenge will be away against Albacete in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.