Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso lost his job immediately after the defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Alonso was sacked from his head coach position following the El Clasico loss. Former footballer Alvaro Arbeloa has been given the responsibility in his place.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Who is this Alvaro Arbeloa?
He has been associated with Real Madrid's youth team for a long time. He had been serving as head coach of this team since June 2025. He is known for maintaining good relationships with players.
However, Arbeloa's coaching career began much earlier. He started his journey as a coach at Real's academy in 2020. In 2020-21, he handled the under-14 team. The following season, he coached the under-16 team.
Alvaro Arbeloa
From 2022 to 2025, he managed the under-19 team. It was during this period that he caught attention as a coach. Under his coaching, Real won the treble in the 2022-23 season. They achieved victory in the Spanish League, Copa del Rey, and Champions Cup.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Now he has received a bigger responsibility. However, he has been familiar with Real Madrid's system since his playing days. He played 256 matches for Real. He won a total of eight titles, including two Champions League and one La Liga.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Arbeloa mainly believes in playing attacking football with his team. He prefers to set up the team in a 4-3-3 formation. In his system, attackers create pressure on opposition players to win the ball.
Alvaro Arbeloa
This Spanish coach gives more importance to wing-based football. Under Arbeloa's coaching, both fullbacks play a major role. This means Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carvajal can be effective.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Defensive midfielders play a major role in Arbeloa's system. They control the game from midfield. This means players like Tchouameni or Camavinga will be important.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Alvaro Arbeloa's first challenge as coach is the Copa del Rey match. On January 15, Mbappe and Bellingham will play under his coaching against Albacete. Now it remains to be seen whether he can bring Real back on track.
