Madrid, Spain:Xabi Alonso's tenure as Real Madrid's first-team head coach has officially ended by mutual consent. After a period of transition and increased scrutiny, Alonso's time on the bench came to an end when the club made the announcement in a formal statement.
The club emphasized that both parties had mutual understanding and that the split was amicable. Real Madrid emphasized in its correspondence the strong regard and emotional bond it has with Alonso, underscoring his long-standing standing within the organization.
"Real Madrid CF declares that Xabi Alonso's tenure as first team coach has come to an end by mutual consent between the club and Alonso. Because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always embodied our club's ideals, Xabi Alonso will always be loved and respected by all Madrid supporters. "He will always call Real Madrid home," the team said in a statement.
Alvaro Arbeloa has been named the club's new head coach in the interim. Having spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's youth academy since 2020, he has been in charge of Castilla since June 2025.
What caused Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid to part ways?Prior to the Supercopa de Espana, Alonso was under a great deal of pressure. The players at Santiago Bernabeu didn't seem to be able to embrace the Spaniard's desire to adopt a new possession-based culture and play a particular style of football. Alonso also struggled to establish any kind of rhythm in La Liga due to significant injuries.
See Also
Xabi was given an ultimatum leading up to the Supercopa de Espana, but Real Madrid advanced to the final by defeating Atletico de Madrid, their city rivals, in the semifinals. They had a difficult first half against Barcelona in the summit match, but they were able to draw 2-2. Raphinha's deflected goal in the second half gave the Catalonia team the victory. That was the last straw for Alonso's Real Madrid coaching career.