Madrid, Jan 12 (IANS) 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.

“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.

He managed the Infantil A team in the 2020-2021 season, winning the league title, the Cadete A team in 2021-2022, and the Juvenil A team from 2022 to 2025.

As a Juvenil manager, he achieved the treble in 2022-2023 (League, Copa del Rey, and Champions Cup) and the League title in the 2024-2025 season. As a player, Arbeloa was part of one of the most successful eras in Real Madrid’s history. He represented the club from 2009 to 2016, making 238 official appearances and winning eight major trophies, including two Champions League titles, La Liga, two Copa del Rey trophies, and a Club World Cup.

Arbeloa also enjoyed a distinguished international career with Spain, earning 56 caps and winning the 2010 World Cup along with European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012.

--IANS

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