Xabi Alonso has left Real Madrid by mutual agreement, a day after their 3-2 defeat by bitter rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, the LaLiga club announced on Monday.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the love and admiration of all Real Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has represented the values of our club at all times. Real Madrid will always be his home,” the club said in a statement.
Alvaro Arbeloa, a former defender and manager of the second squad, will take over for the main team.
After a string of subpar performances across all competitions, Real fired Alonso a little over seven months after hiring him.
After an outstanding season with Bayer Leverkusen, former Real Madrid midfielder Alonso was given a three-year deal in May, but his time at the Santiago Bernabeu swiftly came to an end.
Real brought the former Spain star back as manager after he led Leverkusen to an unprecedented Bundesliga title in 2023–2024, a German Cup victory, and a Europa League final appearance.
Alonso’s comeback, however, was unable to match the achievements of Zinedine Zidane, a fellow former Real Madrid midfielder who notably guided the team to three straight Champions League championships.
There were rumours of conflicts with veteran players, such as winger Vinicius Jr. and co-captain Federico Valverde, during his time.
Under Alonso, Real suffered humiliating defeats against Atletico Madrid in La Liga, Liverpool and Manchester City in the Champions League, and Paris St. Germain in the Club World Cup.
Arbeloa will take over the position right away and miss Wednesday’s Copa del Rey round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Albacete, a team in the second tier.
Alonso’s Real Madrid fell and are currently in second place, four points behind last year’s champions Barca, after dominating La Liga earlier in the season with a commanding five-point lead over longtime rivals Barcelona.