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

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

Alvaro Arbeloa, who has been coach of Real Madrid’s B team since June 2025 – and also spent the last six years working with the academy – has been named as Alonso’s replacement.

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

Alonso departs with Real also second in the LaLiga table, four points behind leaders Barcelona at the midway stage of the campaign.

The Spanish giants are also seventh in the Champions League table having won four our of their six games, losing the other two.

A Real Madrid statement announced the club had parted ways with Alonso, who also had a stellar playing career at the club, via “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 time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso was hired by Real in the summer as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement – after guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the German league and cup double against the odds in 2024.

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

Who is new Real Madrid head coach Arbeloa?

Arbeloa has been 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 a particularly good spell with the club’s Juvenil A side – the Under-19s squad.

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

Arbeloa was also a Real Madrid player – and was a former team-mate of Alonso’s at both the Spanish giants, the Spain national team and also Liverpool.