Real Madrid have announced that head coach Xabi Alonso has left the club by mutual consent, just a day after Los Blancos suffered a defeat against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The club has moved swiftly to appoint former Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa as his replacement.
FBR to Set Up Digital Enforcement Stations to Crack Down on Smuggling
In an official statement issued on Monday, Real Madrid confirmed that Alonso’s eight-month tenure as first-team coach had come to an end following a mutual agreement between both parties. Shortly afterwards, the club announced the appointment of Arbeloa, who had been serving as head coach of Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025.
Arbeloa, 42, has spent his entire coaching career within Real Madrid’s academy system since 2020. His first match in charge of the senior team will be Wednesday’s Copa del Rey last-16 clash away to second-division side Albacete. The club did not disclose the duration of his contract.
A former Spanish international, Arbeloa made 238 appearances for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2016, winning two UEFA Champions League titles and one La Liga crown. He was also part of Spain’s golden generation, lifting the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012, alongside Xabi Alonso.
Alonso was appointed in June as the successor to Carlo Ancelotti after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the German club to a Bundesliga title in 2024. Despite signing a three-year deal, Alonso struggled to bring consistency to Madrid’s performances. The club currently sits second in La Liga, four points behind Barcelona.
His final match in charge was a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Although a late-2025 winning run briefly eased pressure, earlier heavy defeats—including losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid—along with tactical issues and reported dressing-room unrest, ultimately cost him his job.
The Super Cup defeat proved decisive, prompting Real Madrid to draw a line under Alonso’s short-lived reign and usher in a new era under Arbeloa.
