Madrid: Real Madrid CF on Monday announced that Xabi Alonso has left his role as the first team coach by mutual agreement, bringing an end to his brief tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu, IANS reported.
“Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach,” the club said in an official statement. “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.”
The decision comes on the back of Real Madrid’s defeat to their great rivals, Barcelona, 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final last Sunday, which placed more pressure on the coach as Real Madrid were four points below Barcelona in La Liga.
Alonso took over at Real Madrid on June 1, 2025, after a successful tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led them to the domestic double in 2023-24 and made it to the Europa League finals.
Alonso had a strong start to his time at Real Madrid, making it to the semifinals of the Club World Cup and winning 13 out of his first 14 matches in charge of Real Madrid. The only loss during this run came in a heavy defeat at the hands of their city rivals, Atletico Madrid.
Alonso’s early momentum came to a halt when Real Madrid were defeated by Liverpool in the Champions League on November 4. During what became a difficult stretch, Real Madrid only won two of their following eight matches, the only bright spot during this period being a subsequent five-match winning sequence, which ultimately proved insufficient to persuade the club to continue with Alonso in the long term.
The club also expressed gratitude to Alonso and his staff, adding: “Our club thanks Xabi 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.”
Shortly after confirming Alonso’s departure, Real Madrid also announced his successor. “Real Madrid CF announces that Álvaro Arbeloa is the new first team coach,” the club said.
Alvaro Arbeloa has been the manager of Castilla since June 2025 and has spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's youth academy since 2020.