Arbeloa named new Real Madrid coach after Alonso sack

MADRID, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid sacked head coach Xabi Alonso on Monday following Sunday night's 3-2 defeat to FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, with the club's B-team coach Alvaro Arbeloa named as his replacement.

Alonso leaves after 34 matches in charge with 24 wins, four draws and six defeats, including Sunday's loss to Barcelona and a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint Germain in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in July.

The coach joined Real Madrid last June to replace Carlo Ancelotti after two successful seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, returning to the club he represented for five years as a player.

After losing in the semifinals of the Club World Cup, Real Madrid had a positive start to the 2025-26 La Liga season, winning its first seven matches in all competitions before suffering a 5-2 thrashing away to local rivals Atletico Madrid. However, the team responded with another six wins, including a 2-1 victory at home to Barcelona, before a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool where Alonso's side was completely outplayed.

The win against Barcelona also showed that Alonso had a poor relationship with some players, especially Vinicius Jr, who was angry at being subbed out of the match in the second half, and the relationship between the two has been a factor in recent months, with Alonso at times seen asking the Brazilian to work harder to provide defensive cover.

A dip in form meant Alonso's job had looked to be in danger before Christmas, but a 2-0 win at home to Sevilla followed by a 5-1 victory over Real Betis seemed to have stabilized his situation before the Super Cup.

Real Madrid beat Atletico 2-1 in the semifinal in Saudi Arabia, but was only saved from defeat by a series of saves from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and Sunday's defeat, in which Madrid played a defensive game before launching into all-out attack in the closing minutes, appears to have persuaded club president Florentino Perez to dispense with Alonso's services.

Alonso is replaced by 42-year-old Arbeloa, another former player, who has spent five and a half years working with the club's youth system.

Arbeloa makes his debut in the first-team dugout away to second tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night. ■