Xabi Alonso: Real Madrid coach leaves the club and is replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa | Football news

Xabi Alonso has left his post as head coach of Real Madrid after just seven months in the role.

Alvaro Arbeloawho has been coach of Real Madrid’s B team since June 2025 – and has also spent the last six years working with the academy – has been appointed to replace Alonso.

Real announced Alonso’s departure just a day after the club lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.

Alonso leaves with Real also second in the La Liga table, four points behind leaders Barcelona at the halfway point of the campaign.

The Spanish giants are also seventh in the Champions League table having won four of their six matches and lost the other two.

A statement from Real Madrid announced that the club had parted ways with Alonso, who also had a successful playing career at the club, by “mutual agreement”.

The statement continued: “Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values ​​of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.

“Our club thanks Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this period and wishes them good luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso was hired by Real this summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti – after guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the German league and cup double against all odds in 2024.

He was previously linked with the Liverpool job when Jurgen Klopp announced he would leave Anfield that same year – but opted to stay at Leverkusen for another season before moving to Madrid.

Who is the new Real Madrid coach, Arbeloa?

Arbeloa has been the head coach of Real Madrid Castilla – the club’s B team – since the start of this season.

The 42-year-old was previously a coach in Real’s academy, having enjoyed a particularly good spell with the club’s Juvenil A team, the under-19 team.

In the 2022-23 season, Arbeloa guided the Juvenil team to the treble – winning their league, Copa del Rey and Champions Cup title – and won another league title with the team last season.

Arbeloa was also a Real Madrid player – and was a former teammate of Alonso at the Spanish giants, the Spain national team and also at Liverpool.