Arbeloa Departs Real Madrid; Mourinho Announcement Expected

Real Madrid announced on Monday the departure of Alvaro Arbeloa from its coaching staff, concluding his time with the team after he took over in the second half of the season.

This move is seen as a formality preceding the expected arrival of José Mourinho as the new head coach. Real Madrid did not specify if the 43-year-old coach would remain at the club in another capacity, leaving the possibility of his complete departure open.

Arbeloa, a product of Real Madrid's youth academy and a former first-team player for seven seasons, joined the coaching staff of "La Fábrica" in the summer of 2020. He initially worked with the club's youth categories, winning a league title with Infantil A. In the summer of 2022, he took charge of Juvenil A, leading them to a domestic treble in his first season, including the league, cup, and Champions Cup.

At the beginning of the current season, he managed the second team, Castilla, until January, when he was promoted to the first team following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso. During his 28 games managing Real Madrid, the team recorded 18 wins, 2 draws, and 8 losses. However, they were eliminated in the Copa del Rey round of 16 by Albacete and in the Champions League quarterfinals by Bayern Munich. In La Liga, they were unable to keep pace with Barcelona.