The news about Xabi Alonso's tenure as Real Madrid coach nearing its end had been circulating for quite some time. The Spanish Super Cup served as his lifeline. But even that was lost 3-2 to arch-rivals Barcelona. And within 24 hours of this defeat, Real Madrid dismissed Xabi Alonso. Not only that, they announced the name of the new coach within hours of the dismissal.
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When Real Madrid brought in their former player Xabi as coach in June 2025, replacing Carlo Ancelotti, supporters had high hopes. From 2022 to 2025, he led Bayer Leverkusen to success as a coach. After bringing success to the team as a player at Real, that same picture was expected to be seen as a coach. But there is a world of difference between wearing the Real jersey and managing 11 players wearing that jersey – Alonso realised this within seven months. Reports reveal that Alonso was unable to deliver results as expected by the club management.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Xabi Alonso's record as Real Madrid coach
Across all competitions, Real Madrid played 34 matches, winning 24. They drew four and lost six. In La Liga, Real is in second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona. In the UEFA Champions League, they are in seventh position.
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After issuing a statement announcing Alonso's dismissal, Real Madrid issued another statement. It announced that Alvaro Arbeloa would be taking over as the team's coach in place of Alonso. Like Xabi, he is also a former Real Madrid player. After retiring from professional football in 2017, he began coaching in 2020. He was initially a coach at Real Madrid's youth academy. In 2025, he became the coach of Real Castilla.
