Xabi Alonso and Florentino Perez, Getty Images January 12, 2026, 7:25 p.m

Real Madrid officially announced the end of cooperation with Xabi Alonso as the head coach of the first team after the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup against the Catalan Barcelona. The decision was made by mutual consent of the parties, informs official website of “Vershkovy”.

The club stressed that Xabi Alonso will forever remain part of the Madrid family as a Real Madrid legend who has always represented the values ​​of the club. The management thanked the coach and his staff for the work done and wished success in his future career.

Real Madrid also announced the name of the new coach of the first team. He became Alvaro Arbeloa, who has been the head of Castilla since June 2025 and has been working in the club’s coaching system since 2020. Arbeloa has won a number of trophies at academy level during that time, including a treble with Juvenil A in the 2022/23 season.

As a footballer, Alvaro Arbeloa played for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2016, making 238 official appearances and winning eight trophies, including two Champions Leagues. He was also part of the legendary Spanish national team, with which he became the world champion and two-time European champion.

We will remind that Xabi Alonso headed Real Madrid from the summer of 2025. He played a total of 34 matches at the head of “Vershkovy”.