Xabi Alonso has departed from his role as Real Madrid coach “by mutual consent,” as announced by the club on Monday.
This announcement follows a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, just one day earlier.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the former coach of Madrid’s reserve team, Castilla, will take over Alonso’s position.
Alonso faced scrutiny prior to Christmas due to a challenging stretch that saw only two wins in eight matches, including losses to Liverpool, Celta Vigo, and Manchester City. Despite this, team performance had improved recently with five victories, prior to Sunday’s Clásico defeat.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, by mutual agreement, it has been decided to part ways with Xabi Alonso as our first-team coach,” the club stated on Monday.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the love and respect of all Madrid fans, as he is a Real Madrid legend and embodies the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.”
“The club expresses gratitude to Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their commitment and efforts during their time and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.”
Alonso took over as coach from Carlo Ancelotti last summer after a successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen, where he made history by winning the Bundesliga title for the first time in 2024.
Kylian Mbappé was among the first to pay tribute to Alonso, sharing an Instagram story expressing his gratitude. Alongside a photo of them, he wrote, “It was short but a pleasure to play for you & learn from you. Thank you for giving me confidence from Day 1. I will remember you as a manager with clear ideas and deep football knowledge. Best of luck in your next chapter.”
During his time at Madrid from 2009 to 2014 as a player, Alonso won one Champions League, one LaLiga title, and two Copas del Rey.
He began his coaching tenure at Madrid by reaching the semifinals of this year’s Club World Cup, where they fell 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain.
The 2025-26 season kicked off with Madrid securing 13 wins out of 14 matches across all competitions, including a 2-1 victory in the first Clásico of the season, before a slump in results in November.
Álvaro Arbeloa, 42, began his playing career at Madrid before a stint at Liverpool, where he played with Alonso. He returned to Madrid in 2009, spending seven seasons with the club before taking up coaching within the academy in 2020.
Arbeloa also celebrated success with the Spanish national team, claiming the 2010 World Cup and European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.