The club announced that Alonso departed by mutual agreement, following a challenging tenure of less than eight months, just one day after Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia.
Arbeloa, a former teammate of Alonso at Madrid, Liverpool, and Spain, stepped in immediately; together they lifted the World Cup in 2010.
“Real Madrid is pleased to inform that, by mutual agreement with Xabi Alonso, his role as first team coach has come to an end,” a statement read. “Xabi Alonso will always be cherished by Madridistas as he is a Real Madrid legend, embodying the club’s values. Real Madrid will forever be his home.”
The club expressed gratitude to Alonso’s coaching staff as well.
Alonso took charge last May amidst great expectations, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. However, pressure mounted as the team struggled to perform under his leadership, with reported conflicts involving players like Vinícius Júnior, leading to claims that he lost control of the locker room.
Vinícius and several others voiced their frustrations about being substituted by the coach during games. While some players publicly backed Alonso late last year, the situation did not significantly improve.
Following Sunday’s defeat in Jeddah, Alonso seemed to wish for his team to give a guard of honor to Barcelona during the awards ceremony, but Kylian Mbappé and other players directed him back and walked away.
During his tenure, Alonso oversaw 34 matches across all competitions, achieving 24 wins, six losses, and four draws.
Madrid triumphed in the season’s first clasico in October with a 2-1 victory, yet still trails Barcelona by four points midway through La Liga. The next match is scheduled for Wednesday against Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16.
As a player, Arbeloa contributed to Madrid’s success with eight titles from 2009 to 2016, including two European Cups and one Spanish league title. He also played a vital role in Spain’s victories in the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
The 44-year-old Alonso was part of the same Spain squad and the Madrid team that clinched the 2014 Champions League, winning six titles with Madrid from 2009 to 2014.
Arbeloa, aged 42, had been managing the B team since June and had also coached youth teams within the club.
Alonso signed a contract running from May to June 2028. He previously led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic German league and cup double in his first full season after taking over when the team was in the Bundesliga relegation zone the prior season.
