After the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup, Xabi Alonso was fired as coach of Real Madrid. The Spanish football record champions announced on Monday that the separation had taken place “by mutual agreement”. As his successor, Real immediately presented former professional Álvaro Arbeloa, who had coached the second team and once played together with Alonso for Madrid.
“Xabi Alonso will always enjoy the affection and admiration of all Madridistas, because he is a legend of Real Madrid and has always represented the values of our club,” the club’s statement said: “Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching team for their work and commitment during this time and wishes them the best of luck in this new phase of their lives.”
Alonso (44) took over Real at the start of the season and succeeded Carlo Ancelotti. In Germany he won the double with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/2024.
In Spain’s La Liga, Real is second, three points behind FC Barcelona. Madrid lost the Supercopa final against their arch-rivals (2:3) in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
There had been rumors for some time that Alonso was about to be fired. “Projects take time. We are developing further in terms of football, emotions and team spirit,” Alonso said before the Supercup. Despite five wins in a row, Spanish media described the final against Barcelona as a personal final in the desert.
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