Xabi Alonso arrived at the start of the season as Los Blancos’ biggest hope for building a new era following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure. While he had a brilliant start, the team accumulated a series of poor performances, including the latest defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. In light of this, Real Madrid made the drastic decision to dismiss the coach, and has already announced his replacement.
“Real Madrid C. F. announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his tenure as first-team coach… Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives,” the Spanish team posted on its website.
Even though Xabi Alonso’s dismissal comes as a surprise, the front office has already announced his replacement: Álvaro Arbeloa. He will take charge of the team after shining within the youth ranks since 2020 as coach. With this decision, Santiago Solari’s possible return is ruled out, pointing instead to a move similar to Zinedine Zidane’s first tenure with the club.
“Álvaro Arbeloa has been the coach 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 coach of the Juvenil A team, he won the treble in 2022-2023 (League, Copa del Rey, and Copa de Campeones) and the League in the 2024-2025 season,” Real Madrid announce in their website.
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Xabi Alonso did not reach to impose his playing style at Real Madrid
Unlike his time at Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso was unable to impose a defined style of play at Real Madrid. With the absence of a creative midfielder, the coach struggled to find an ideal balance in his games, facing constant inconsistencies in the team’s performance. Additionally, the Spaniard reportedly did not manage the locker room optimally, losing significant support from the front office and several players.
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Although Xabi seemed to have regained the locker room’s backing and everything pointed toward his continuity, Real Madrid decided to opt for a drastic change to provide a fresh start and restore competitiveness in LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League. This raises numerous questions about whether the front office fully supported the Spaniard, as his request over a Luka Modric continuity was not accepted and his midfield lacked a player of his profile.
Álvaro Arbeloa emerges as a great solution for Real Madrid problems
Álvaro Arbeloa may not be one of the most well-known coaches, but he has shown an impressive ability to lead during his short time in the youth ranks. After shining with Cadete A, he was appointed head coach of Juvenil A, where he elevated the team to remarkable competitiveness. He was also the one who helped Nico Paz and Gonzalo Garcia reach their best form, making them stand out in the UEFA Youth League.
Far from being a defensive-minded coach like Raul Gonzalez, Álvaro has demonstrated a very offensive philosophy, with game possession and adaptability to opponents as his greatest strengths. For this reason, his profile is quite similar to Carlo Ancelotti’s. Additionally, the Spaniard has shown brilliant locker room management, being praised by Iker Bravo—now at Udinese—as the best coach he has ever had, offering a paternal presence reminiscent of the Italian coach.
