Real Madrid fire Xabi Alonso, appoint Alvaro Arbeloa after Supercopa loss to Barcelona

Real Madrid have confirmed a major managerial shake-up following their Supercopa de España loss to Barcelona, a thrilling encounter that ended 3-2 in favour of Hansi Flick’s side.

The club announced on Monday that Xabi Alonso has departed, with Alvaro Arbeloa stepping in as the new head coach.

"Real Madrid C.F. announces that Alvaro Arbeloa is the new head coach of the first team. Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career within the Real Madrid academy since 2020," read the official club statement, issued shortly after confirming Alonso’s exit.

Alonso’s tenure has proved challenging. Despite arriving with high expectations after a stellar run at Bayer Leverkusen, the former Real Madrid defender was unable to replicate his German success in Spain.

His time with Leverkusen saw him lift the Bundesliga title and break Bayern Munich’s dominance during an impressive two-and-a-half-year spell.

The 42-year-old returned to Madrid last summer with momentum and acclaim, but his spell at the Santiago Bernabéu failed to deliver the consistency fans and the board demanded, ultimately leading to his premature departure.

Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid stalwart on the pitch and a rising figure within the club’s coaching structure, now inherits the challenge of steering Los Blancos through the remainder of the season.

Arbeloa is a well-known figure at Real Madrid, as he played in the Spanish team and in the national team as a full back for over a decade.

At Real Madrid he played from 2009 to 2016 after starting his career in the academy and had two spells at Deportivo La Coruna and Liverpool before making his last career move to West Ham during the 2016-17 season.

Arbeloa, over the years, became the face of the club on and off the pitch, contributing to multiple domestic and European trophies.

For Spain, he was part of the so-called golden generation, playing 50 matches and winning the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

After retiring from professional football in 2017, he moved into coaching and since 2020 has taken on roles within Real Madrid's youth system, where he was considered a promising candidate for the future.