Who is Álvaro Arbeloa, the new Real Madrid coach who replaces Xabi Alonso?

Real Madrid have began a brand new period on the bench after the departure of Xabi Alonso, introduced only a day after the defeat to Barcelona within the ultimate of the Spanish Tremendous Cup. The sporting setback accelerated the tip of the cycle of the Basque coach and opened the door to an instantaneous substitute: Alvaro Arbeloa, till now coach of Actual Madrid Castilla, was appointed as the brand new head coach of the primary group.

The membership made the choice official by means of a press release wherein it knowledgeable that Arbeloa was taking up the place instantly, with out detailing the period of his contract.

A relay after the autumn within the Tremendous Cup

Xabi Alonso’s departure got here after the 3-2 defeat towards Barcelona within the ultimate of the Spanish Tremendous Cup, a outcome that precipitated the tip of his time answerable for the white group. The establishment stated that the choice was made “by mutual settlement”, highlighting Alonso’s determine as a legend of the membership and thanking him for his work and dedication.

“Xabi Alonso will at all times have the love and admiration of all Madrid followers,” Actual Madrid stated in its official assertion, wherein it additionally wished him success in his subsequent skilled stage.

Arbeloa takes over instantly

Alvaro Arbeloa takes cost of the primary group with out a transition interval. His first official match would be the go to to Albacete within the final 16 of the Copa del Rey, a match scheduled for Wednesday.

The coach arrives after managing Actual Madrid Castilla since June 2025, throughout which era the reserve group occupies fourth place in Group 1 of the Primera RFEF, consolidated as some of the aggressive groups within the class.

All of Arbeloa’s teaching profession has been spent throughout the membership’s youth construction. His teaching profession started within the 2020-2021 season, when he took cost of Infantil A, a group with which he gained the league championship.

He then took cost of the Cadete A group within the 2021-2022 season and later the Juvenil A group, a place he held between 2022 and 2025. On this final stage, he signed some of the profitable durations of the youth group, profitable the treble within the 2022-2023 season: League, Copa del Rey and Copa de Campeones.

Within the 2024-2025 season, Arbeloa gained the league once more with the Juvenil A, a feat that additional strengthened his place throughout the sporting construction earlier than taking cost of Castilla after which the primary group.

Arbeloa’s time as a Actual Madrid participant

Earlier than beginning his profession as a coach, Alvaro Arbeloa was a Actual Madrid participant between 2009 and 2016, throughout which era he performed 238 official matches and was a part of some of the profitable durations within the membership’s latest historical past.

Throughout these years, he gained eight titles with the Spanish giants, together with two European Cups, in addition to a LaLiga Santander title, two Copa del Rey trophies and a Membership World Cup, amongst different trophies.

At worldwide stage, he was capped 56 occasions by Spain and was a part of the group that gained the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

Arbeloa’s technique: excessive urgent and 4-3-3

As a coach, Arbeloa arrives on the first group with an outlined type of play. His base system is the 4-3-3, with excessive urgent, a group pushed up into the opponent’s half and fixed depth. These are rules he has utilized each with the Juvenil A and Castilla groups, with occasional changes to 4-4-2 relying on how matches develop.

In his strategy, the coach has emphasised the significance of the defensive midfielder, the so-called ‘6’, as a key participant for tactical stability and clear ball management.