Xabi Alonso has left his role as Real Madrid head coach by mutual agreement after just seven months, the club confirmed on Monday afternoon.
The Spaniard’s departure follows Real Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in Sunday’s Supercopa de España final in Jeddah.
Alonso, who departs with the club trailing their Catalan rivals by four points at the top of La Liga, will be replaced by his former Liverpool and Spain team-mate Álvaro Arbeloa.
How Real Madrid announced Xabi Alonso’s departure
“Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his tenure as first-team coach,” read a club statement. “Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always embodied the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.”
Alonso arrived in the Spanish capital on a three-year deal at the beginning of June with his stock high after leading Bayer Leverkusen to the domestic double and Europa League final during the 2023/24 campaign.
The former midfielder guided Madrid to the Club World Cup semi-finals, where they were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain, but went on to start the league season in impressive fashion, winning all but one of his next 14 matches.
Xabi Alonso: how Real Madrid tenure took a downturn
Until a 1-0 Champions League loss at Liverpool in early November, the sole blot on Alonso’s record was a 5-2 derby defeat at Atlético Madrid. However, that setback began an eight-game run that saw Real win just twice and culminated with two straight losses at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they were beaten 2-0 by Celta Viga in the league and lost 2-1 in the Champions League to Manchester City.
That sequence brought mounting scrutiny on Alonso’s tenure, with internal discussions about his future held before the City game. Despite speculation that Alonso would be dismissed in the event of a loss, the 44-year-old not only retained the faith of club president Florentino Perez, but recovered to win the next five games in a row.
Sunday’s loss to Barcelona was to be his final match in charge, however, with Arbeloa, who had previously been shortlisted as a possible replacement, now stepping into his shoes.
Arbeloa won two Champions League titles and La Liga over the course of seven seasons at the club between 2009 and 2016, . Madrid did not specify the length of the former Spain international’s contract.
How Álvaro Arbeloa’s appointment as head coach was announced
“Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach,” read a club statement. “Álvaro Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025, and has spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid’s youth academy since 2020.”
Arbeloa’s reign will begin with a visit to second-tier Albacete in the last-16 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
