Following Xabi Alonso’s departure, former Real Madrid player Alvaro Arbeloa has officially taken charge of the team’s managerial reins Real Madrid.
Real Madrid has formally welcomed Arbeloa as their new head coach. After losing to FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final and trailing their arch - rivals by 4 points in the La Liga standings, Real Madrid decided to part ways with Alonso and promote Arbeloa, the former Real Madrid Castilla manager, to lead the first - team. Here are five essential things to know about the 42 - year - old new boss of Real Madrid:
Coaching career rooted in Real Madrid’s youth system:
This is Arbeloa’s first stint as a first - team manager, and all his previous coaching experience has been with various youth teams. Starting as the Real Madrid U14 coach in 2020, he was promoted to Castilla manager ahead of the 2025/26 season. His entire coaching journey has been deeply rooted in La Fábrica, Real Madrid’s youth academy Real Madrid.
238 appearances for Real Madrid:
During his playing career, Arbeloa featured far more times for Real Madrid than any other club he represented. He played for the White Angels twice, amassing a total of 238 appearances. His longest spell at the club was from 2009 to 2016, a period during which he won the UEFA Champions League twice with the team. Towards the end of his Bernabeu career, the defender even captained the side in a Copa del Rey match.
Member of Spain’s "Golden Generation" with two European Championships and one World Cup:
Arbeloa earned 56 caps for the Spanish national team and was a witness to Spain’s golden era of football from 2008 to 2012. He played once in Spain’s triumphant 2008 UEFA European Championship campaign and also made one appearance on their way to winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the 2012 UEFA European Championship, he played every single match, witnessing Spain successfully defend their title.
Fluent in English:
Arbeloa previously played for two Premier League clubs, Liverpool FC and West Ham United. This experience enabled him to speak English fluently. In Real Madrid’s multi - cultural dressing room, his excellent English skills will help him communicate better with non - Spanish - speaking players in the first - team.
Dressing room nickname "Rocky":
During his time at Real Madrid, Arbeloa worked out in the gym for at least 20 minutes every day. It was this constant dedication to gym training that earned him the nickname "Rocky". He once explained: “Even if I just did three extra sit - ups, my teammates would immediately joke that I was just like Rocky.”
