Real Madrid announced on Monday that they are parting ways with manager Xabi Alonso by “mutual consent” and will replace him with former Castilla reserve team coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his tenure as first-team coach,” the club said in a brief statement on Monday.
“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.”
“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.”
News of the split comes on the heels of Real’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The former player turned coach joined Real last summer following an impressive run at Bayer Leverkusen where he helped guide the club to their first ever Bundesliga title.
Overall, Real Madrid has fared well under Alonso’s guidance going 24-4-6, which was good for a 70.6 win percentage. However, he came under scrutiny from the club’s hyper-vigilant fanbase after a poor run in November which led to just 2 wins across 8 contests.
Prior to Sunday’s loss, the team had put together 5 straight victories. At 14-3-2 on the season, the team sits in 2nd place on La Liga’s table, 4 points behind league leaders Barcelona. Real will get their next chance to exact revenge on bitter rival Barcelona on May 10th.
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