Real Madrid have parted company with Xabi Alonso after just eight months following a defeat by Barcelona and have acted fast to confirm the ex-midfielder's replacement
Alvaro Arbeloa, head coach of Real Madrid Castilla
Alvaro Arbeloa has become the new Real Madrid manager(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Real Madrid have replaced Xabi Alonso by promoting his former team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa. Alonso was sacked on Monday following the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup by Barcelona - and his friend has stepped into his shoes immediately.
Real announced that Alonso had left the club by mutual consent, although the nature of his exit may suggest otherwise. The former Liverpool and Real midfielder joined from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti but has struggled in the hot seat.
Alonso won 24 of his 34 matches in all competitions, but has left after his side were beaten 3-2 by Barca. There have been tensions with the hierarchy, led by president Florentino Perez, and star players like Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
Arbeloa has been coaching in the Real academy since 2020 and has been promoted from his role in charge of Real Castilla - the Spanish giant's B team. "Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach," the club wrote in a statement.
"Álvaro Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025, and has spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's youth academy since 2020. He coached the Under-14s A in the 2020-2021 season, winning the league title, the Under-16s in the 2021-2022 season and the Under-19s from 2022 to 2025. As coach of the Under-19s, he won the treble in the 2022-2023 season (League, Copa del Rey and Champions Cup) and the League in the 2024-2025 season.
"As a player, Álvaro Arbeloa was part of Real Madrid in one of the most successful periods of its history. He defended our shirt between 2009 and 2016, in 238 official matches. During that time he won 8 trophies: 2 European Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Uefa Super Cup, 1 LaLiga title, 2 Copa del Rey trophies and 1 Spanish Super Cup.
"With the Spanish national team, Álvaro Arbeloa was also part of a historic era, in which he won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and 2 European Championships (2008 and 2012). He was capped 56 times."
Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso
Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso played together for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Real are four points behind Barca, who sit top of La Liga after 19 games. Los Blancos are seventh in the Champions League group stages table, having won four of their six games so far.
Speaking after the 3-2 defeat by Barca on Sunday, Alonso didn't know his exit was coming less than one year into his three-year contract.
"We have to move on as soon as possible," Alonso said, when asked how his team would react to the loss. "It's the least important of the competitions we play. We have to look forward, try to get players back [from injury], get our morale back and keep going."
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