Real Madrid have sacked Xabi Alonso as their manager.
The LaLiga giants have taken the decision less than 24 hours after they lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the SuperCopa final.
After the game, Alonso came out to say it was ‘the least important’ competition they would play in.
The former Spain midfielder had been under pressure for a while, as the team continues to struggle in LaLiga and the Champions League.
Madrid’s decision to part ways with Alonso, comes two days before their next fixture – a Round of 16 clash in the Copa del Rey against Albacete.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as the new head coach, hoping to steer the team to success.
The club confirmed the appointment in a statement, marking a significant new chapter in its history with the promotion of one of its former players and long-serving youth coaches to the senior role.
‘Real Madrid C.F. announces that Álvaro Arbeloa is the new first-team coach’, the statement said.
Arbeloa had been in charge of Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025 and has spent his entire coaching career within the club’s academy structure since 2020. He began as manager of Infantil A in the 2020/21 season, winning the league title, before taking charge of Cadete A in 2021/22.
He then led Juvenil A from 2022 to 2025, enjoying remarkable success. Under his guidance, the team won a historic treble in the 2022/23 season, claiming the League, Copa del Rey and Champions Cup, before securing another league title in the 2024/25 campaign.
As a player, Arbeloa was part of one of the most successful eras in Real Madrid’s history. He represented the club between 2009 and 2016, making 238 official appearances and winning eight major trophies: two UEFA Champions League titles, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one La Liga title, two Copa del Rey trophies and one Spanish Super Cup.
