Álvaro Arbeloa is the current head coach of Real Madrid’s first team, having taken over from Xabi Alonso in January 2026.

Current coach

  • Álvaro Arbeloa was promoted to Real Madrid head coach after the club decided to part ways with Xabi Alonso by mutual agreement.
  • The appointment was made official in mid-January 2026, with the club confirming him as the new permanent first-team coach rather than an interim option.

Background on Arbeloa

  • Arbeloa is a former Real Madrid defender who enjoyed a long spell at the club as a player, winning multiple major trophies in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
  • Before taking over the first team, he coached within the Real Madrid youth setup and then managed Real Madrid Castilla (the B team), where his work with young players helped build trust in his coaching profile.

Recent context

  • Xabi Alonso’s tenure as coach, which began in 2025, ended after a difficult run of results, including a Supercopa loss to Barcelona and a slip in the league standings, prompting the club to move quickly for a change.
  • Arbeloa’s appointment is seen as a continuity move, with club figures expecting him to bring an approach closer to Carlo Ancelotti’s style while stabilizing performances in the short term.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.