Real Madrid have parted ways with head coach Xabi Alonso and appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement, a decision that comes a day after the club’s defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona edged past Real Madrid in a five-goal thriller on Sunday, securing back-to-back Super Cup titles and compounding pressure on Alonso, whose position had been under scrutiny for several weeks.

In a statement released on Monday, Real Madrid confirmed that the separation was reached by mutual agreement, bringing an end to Alonso’s short spell as first-team coach.

“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 club said.

Despite a run of five consecutive victories that briefly steadied his position, the defeat to Barcelona proved decisive. Real Madrid are currently second in LaLiga, four points behind Barcelona, and seventh in the UEFA Champions League table, having won four of their six matches and lost two.

Alonso, a former midfield star for Los Blancos, arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu with high expectations after earning widespread praise at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to an unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2024. While results were mixed, performances were often described as unconvincing, and the Super Cup loss provided club president Florentino Pérez with the moment to act.

His successor, Álvaro Arbeloa, takes over with immediate effect. The former Real Madrid defender has been promoted from the club’s reserve setup and is regarded as someone who understands the club’s culture and the pressures of the managerial role.

Arbeloa now faces the challenge of stabilising the team and keeping Real Madrid competitive domestically and in Europe as the season progresses.