Xabi Alonso has left Real Madrid by mutual agreement after seven months, following poor results, including a Super Cup Final loss to Barcelona. Former player Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as the club’s new manager, taking charge immediately.
The Spanish manager and former football player, Xabi Alonso, parted ways with Real Madrid after just seven months in his tenure on Monday, January 12. Alonso’s exit came after the Los Blancos’ defeat to their long-time Spanish rivals, Barcelona, in the Super Cup Final at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah on Sunday, January 11.
Xabi Alonso’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu was hanging in the balance after Real Madrid endured a dire run of form, with heavy defeats in major competitions, including losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup, Atletico Madrid in La Liga, and Liverpool and Manchester City in 2025. During the last 2025, Real Madrid won just two games in eight outings, putting him on the brink of his exit.
The Super Cup Final against Barcelona was widely seen as a fate-decider for Xabi Alonso, with the club hierarchy viewing the result as his final assessment of his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu. Now, Real Madrid’s defeat at the hands of their Spanish rivals proved to be the tipping point that sealed his exit from Real Madrid.
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In Seven Months, Xabi Alonso Departs Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso, who played for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2014, returned to the club as a manager with a lot of hopes and ambitions, given his successful stint as a coach at Bayern Leverkusen, where he led the German club to their maiden Bundesliga Title, German Cup, and Super Cup, overseeing an unbeaten run of 51 matches.
Given his success at Bayern Leverkusen, the Real Madrid hierarchy might have thought they would not find a better candidate than Alonso to usher in a new era at the club by signing a three-year contract. However, things did not go as expected, as the former Spanish footballer failed to meet the expectations of the club hierarchy and fans, ultimately leading to a premature end to his highly anticipated stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In an official statement by Real Madrid, the club confirmed Alonso’s departure was through mutual agreement and hailed the former Los Blancos footballer as a ‘Real Madrid Legend’.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home,” the statement read.
Xabi Alonso succeeded Carlo Ancelotti, who left Real Madrid in May 2025 to take over as head coach of the Brazil national team, ending his decorated spell at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, in the final year of his stint, Ancelotti could not maintain consistent success as the Los Blancos suffered an unusually high number of defeats and saw their performances dip in key competitions, contributing to the club’s decision to replace him.
In Xabi Alonso’s case, the club hoped that his modern tactical approach and his success at Bayern Leverkusen would spark an immediate revival, but his inconsistent results and heavy defeats led to his early exit from Real Madrid.
Fans Divided over Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid Exit
Xabi Alonso’s exit from Real Madrid attracted immediate attention and reactions from football fans around the world. His departure from Santigio Bernabeu was inevitable, as the Super Cup Final was the last nail in the coffin for his short tenure, sparking a heated debate among fans.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), Real Madrid and football fans reacted to Alonso’s exit in a way that was deeply divided, with some criticising the club’s decision as premature, while others defended the former Real Madrid player, praising his professionalism and lamenting the difficult circumstances he faced.
At Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso led the team in 34 matches, winning 24, losing six, and drawing 4, across all competitions, including the Champions League and La Liga. At the time of his exit from Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid were in second spot on the La Liga points table with 45 points, just four points adrift of the defending champions and table toppers, Barcelona, who have 49 points from 19 matches.
In the Champions League, Los Blancos are currently in seventh spot on the points table with four wins and two losses and have accumulated 12 points from six matches. There were reports of issues in the dressing room, with senior players Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe showing a lack of respect towards him and his tactics.
Alvaro Arbeloa Succeeds Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid
Soon after Real Madrid announced Xabi Alonso’s departure from the Santiago Bernabeu, the club named Alvaro Arbeloa as his successor. Arbeloa played for Los Blancos in two separate stints: first from 2005 to 2009, and then from 2009 to 2016.
The 41-year-old played a pivotal role in the success of Real Madrid, helping the club win two Champions League titles in 2014 and 2016, the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2014, and LA Liga in 2011-12, Copa Del Rey in 2010-11 and 2013-14.
After retiring from his professional football career after two seasons (2016 and 2017) at West Ham United, Arbeloa returned to Real Madrid in 2020 and began building his coaching career in the club’s youth academy. Alvaro Arbeloa served as a head coach for Real Madrid Youth and Real Madrid B before he was elevated as the manager of the first team of Los Blancos.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s first assignment as a manager of Real Madrid will be the Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash against Albacete, guiding the side to bounce back from the Super Cup Final defeat at the hands of Barcelona.
