Alvaro Arbeloa to step down from Real Madrid coaching role at season's end

Álvaro Arbeloa said on Friday that he will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, confirming that Saturday’s home game against Athletic Club will be his last in charge for now. The 43-year-old was appointed first-team coach on January 12 after previously leading Castilla, Real Madrid’s reserve side. His exit comes after a short spell on the bench and amid reports that Jose Mourinho is close to returning to the club. Arbeloa said in his pre-match news conference that he would not remain as part of Mourinho’s staff if the Portuguese coach is appointed. ### What exactly did Arbeloa say about leaving? Arbeloa told reporters on May 22 that “it’s clear that this will be my last match this season as coach of Real Madrid,” according to comments published by the club. He added that he did not know whether it would be “the last of my life as a Real Madrid coach,” framing the departure as an exit from the current role rather than a break with the club altogether. The Bernabéu news conference came before Real Madrid’s final La Liga match of the season, scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 p.m. CEST against Athletic Club. Arbeloa said he wanted to “say goodbye to the fans by giving them a victory,” according to the club’s transcript. ### How did Arbeloa get the job in the first place? Real Madrid announced on January 12 that Arbeloa would become the new first-team coach. The club said then that he had been coaching Castilla since June 2025 and had spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid’s academy system since 2020. A May 28, 2025 club statement had set out his move to Castilla for the 2025-26 season. Before that, Arbeloa coached several youth levels at the club, including the under-19 side, where Real Madrid said he won a treble in the 2022-23 season and another league title in 2024-25. ### What is Arbeloa’s history with Real Madrid? Arbeloa played 238 official matches for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2016, the club says. Real Madrid’s January statement said he won eight trophies there as a player, including two European Cups and one La Liga title. Spain also used Arbeloa during one of its most successful periods. Real Madrid’s official biography says he earned 56 caps and was part of Spain’s squads that won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012. ### Why is Jose Mourinho part of this story? BBC Sport reported on May 22 that Mourinho is in final negotiations to take over at Real Madrid and that Arbeloa would leave rather than join his coaching staff. The report said Mourinho, now at Benfica, previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013. Arbeloa addressed that possibility directly. BBC quoted him as saying Mourinho has “a fantastic technical team” and that “there’s no chance that I would be with him” if he returns to Madrid. ### How did Arbeloa describe his relationship with the club? Arbeloa said on Friday that he hoped the moment was “a see you later” rather than a definitive farewell. He said he had spent 20 years at Real Madrid in different roles and still regarded the club as his home. That language matched the path Real Madrid has laid out in its own statements. The club has repeatedly described Arbeloa as a product of its academy and a former first-team player who moved through its youth coaching structure before taking over Castilla and then the senior side. ### What happens next at Real Madrid? Saturday’s match against Athletic Club is the immediate next step, with kickoff set for 9:00 p.m. CEST at the Bernabéu. Arbeloa said after that game he would think about his future “from Monday,” while Real Madrid has yet to announce who will coach the team next season. BBC said the next question is when Real Madrid will formally name Arbeloa’s successor. Mourinho remains the leading candidate in that reporting, but the club had not issued an official appointment as of May 23.