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The Real Madrid announced this Monday the departure of Xabi Alonso as the head coach of the first team, a decision that comes less than 24 hours after the white team's defeat against FC Barcelona (3-2) in the final of the Supercopa de España.
Although the team showed resilience and put up a fight until the end, the overall performance of the season ultimately weighed on the board's decision.
In a first official statement, the club announced that the separation took place “by mutual agreement” between both parties.
"The Real Madrid will always be your home," stated the institution, which thanked Xabi Alonso and his coaching staff for their work and emphasized that the former midfielder "will always have the affection and admiration of Madridismo" for his status as a club legend and for embodying its values.
Later, the white club confirmed in a second statement that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new head coach of the first team. Arbeloa has been serving as the coach of Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career within the Madrid academy since 2020, boasting a successful track record in the lower categories.
As a coach, Arbeloa was a league champion with the Infantil A (2020-2021), led the Cadete A (2021-2022), and the Juvenil A from 2022 to 2025, during which he achieved a historic treble in the 2022-2023 season (League, Copa del Rey, and Copa de Campeones), in addition to winning the league in the 2024-2025 campaign.
During his time as a football player, Arbeloa wore the Real Madrid jersey from 2009 to 2016, participating in 238 official matches and winning eight titles, including two Champions League trophies. He was also a key member of the Spanish national team that won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, earning 56 caps.
The Madrid board is thus opting for an in-house solution in an attempt to steer the team's sporting direction during a season marked by inconsistency and the high demands of the white environment.
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