Xabi Alonso has stepped down as head coach of Real Madrid after spending just seven months in charge, the Spanish giants have confirmed.
The club announced Alonso’s departure on Monday, barely 24 hours after Real’s loss to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, which was played in Saudi Arabia. Despite the setback, Real Madrid currently sit second in the LaLiga standings, four points behind leaders Barcelona at the halfway point of the season.
In Europe, Los Blancos are placed seventh in the UEFA Champions League table, having recorded four wins and two defeats from their six matches so far.
In a statement, Real Madrid said the decision to part ways with Alonso was reached by “mutual agreement,” while paying glowing tribute to the former midfield maestro, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“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 club said, adding that it wished Alonso and his technical team well in the next chapter of their careers.
Alonso was appointed last summer as successor to Carlo Ancelotti, arriving with a strong reputation after leading Bayer Leverkusen to a historic German Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2024. He had also been linked with the Liverpool job following Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he would leave Anfield, but chose to remain in Germany for another season before making the move to Madrid.
Taking over from Alonso is Álvaro Arbeloa, who has been in charge of Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s B team, since June 2025. The 42-year-old has spent the past six years working within Real’s academy system and is highly regarded for his work with the youth teams.
Arbeloa enjoyed particular success with the club’s Juvenil A (Under-19) side, guiding them to a remarkable treble in the 2022/23 season, winning the league title, the Copa del Rey Juvenil and the Champions Cup. He followed that up with another league title last season.
A former Real Madrid defender himself, Arbeloa was also a team-mate of Alonso at club level, with the Spain national team and during their time together at Liverpool, making his promotion a familiar and trusted choice for the Madrid hierarchy.
