By Charles Maduka
Real Madrid have dismissed head coach Xabi Alonso following their 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final, ending his seven-month spell in charge of the club.
Alonso had been under growing pressure due to inconsistent results and reported disagreements with some players, but Sunday’s Clasico loss proved decisive. Despite fighting back to draw level before halftime, Madrid missed two late chances to force the match into penalties as Barcelona claimed the trophy through Raphinha’s second-half winner.
The former midfielder leaves the club with Real Madrid sitting second in LaLiga, four points behind Barcelona. He took over from Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the Club World Cup, where Madrid reached the semi-finals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain, and was initially seen as a long-term option for the role.
In a statement confirming his departure, the club praised Alonso for his service, describing him as a Real Madrid legend who represents the values of the club. Madrid thanked him and his coaching staff for their work and wished them well in the next phase of their careers.
Alonso managed 34 matches during his time at the club, winning 24, drawing four and losing six, giving him a win rate of just over 70 per cent. That record places him among the top five permanent coaches in the club’s history by win percentage. Before joining Madrid, he enjoyed major success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the team to an unbeaten domestic double.
Following Alonso’s exit, Real Madrid have announced former defender Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach. The club turned to the 42-year-old after his steady rise through the youth system, where he recently led Castilla after replacing Raul.
Arbeloa is a product of the Real Madrid academy and went on to make 237 appearances for the first team across two spells. During his playing career, he won several major honours, including LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the Club World Cup and the Super Cup.
A former teammate of Alonso at both Liverpool and Real Madrid, Arbeloa takes over with the team still in the title race and will begin his tenure in the Copa del Rey against Albacete.
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