Real Madrid have officially confirmed Álvaro Arbeloa as the club’s new first-team head coach, marking a swift managerial transition at the Santiago Bernabéu, Softfootball reports.
The appointment comesminitues after Real Madrid parted ways with Xabi Alonso, following a painful 3-2 Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona. Alonso’s departure ends a spell that had recently come under intense scrutiny, with growing pressure on the former midfielder to refine the team’s style of play amid inconsistent performances.
In a statement released via the club’s official X handle, Real Madrid announced Arbeloa’s promotion after years of steady progression within the club’s coaching structure.
Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach.
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.
Despite the criticism, Alonso leaves Real Madrid second in the La Liga table, sitting on 45 points after 19 games, just four points behind leaders Barcelona. Rumours had circulated in recent weeks that the club hierarchy were increasingly concerned about tactical stagnation and the team’s struggles to impose themselves in big moments.
Notably, Alonso retained strong backing from within the dressing room during this turbulent period. Several players publicly defended the coach, with Aurélien Tchouaméni stressing that responsibility must also fall on the players during difficult spells, rather than solely on the manager.
Arbeloa now inherits a squad brimming with talent but under pressure to respond quickly. His deep-rooted connection to Real Madrid’s philosophy, combined with his proven success at youth level, will raise expectations that he can restore clarity, intensity, and balance as Los Blancos look to stay competitive on all fronts in the second half of the season.
