Alonso leaves Real Madrid after only seven months
Coach Xabi Alonso has left Real Madrid by mutual agreement a day after its 3-2 defeat by bitter rival Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana, the LaLiga club has announced.
"Xabi Alonso will always have the love and admiration of all Real Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has represented the values of our club at all times. Real Madrid will always be his home," a club statement, released on Tuesday (AEDT), read.
The club stated that second-team manager and former defender Alvaro Arbeloa will take over the first team job for now.
Madrid parted ways with Alonso a little more than seven months after appointing him after a poor run of results in all competitions.
Former Madrid midfielder Alonso, who was handed a three-year contract in May after an impressive stint with Bayer Leverkusen, saw his tenure quickly unravel.
The former Spain international had guided Leverkusen to an historic unbeaten campaign to win the Bundesliga title in the 2023-2024 season, along with a German Cup triumph and a UEFA Europa League final appearance, prompting Madrid to bring him back to the club as its manager.
However, Alonso's return failed to replicate the success of a fellow former Real Madrid midfielder, Zinedine Zidane, who famously led the club to three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles.
His tenure was marred by internal discord, with reports of clashes with senior players, including co-captain Federico Valverde and winger Vinicius Jr.
Madrid's poor performances under Alonso included humbling losses to Paris Saint-Germain at the FIFA Club World Cup, Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, and Liverpool and Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Arbeloa will take over the job immediately and will be on the sidelines on Thursday when Madrid visits second-division side Albacete in a Copa del Rey Round of 16 tie.
After leading LaLiga earlier in the season with a comfortable five-point advantage over Barcelona, Alonso's Madrid suffered a dip in form and now sits second on the table, four points behind defending champion Barca.
Alonso's appointment was initially seen as a long-term project, but his dismissal signals the club's impatience with Madrid falling short of its high standards.
The 44-year-old, who made 236 appearances for Los Blancos as a player between 2009 and 2014, won a LaLiga title, two Copa del Rey trophies, and the club's long-awaited 10th European crown during his years in midfield.
Alonso also began his coaching career at Madrid's academy, managing the under-14 side to league and tournament success in the 2018-2019 season, before progressing to Real Sociedad's reserve team and then Leverkusen.
His successor, Arbeloa, has been the coach of Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025 and has spent his entire coaching career in the club's youth academy since 2020.
Arbeloa played for Madrid during one of the most successful periods in the club's history, between 2009 and 2016, playing 238 matches and winning eight titles, including two UEFA Champions League trophies.
He was also in the Spain squad that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and two European championships, making 56 international appearances.
