Alonso sacked by Real Madrid; replaced by Arbeloa as head coach

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesJanuary 12, 2026 at 08:10 PM

AI Summary

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Xabi Alonso was dismissed as Real Madrid's head coach on January 12, 2026, following a Super Cup loss to Barcelona. The club announced the departure was by mutual consent, ending Alonso's tenure less than a year into his three-year contract. Alvaro Arbeloa, previously coaching Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, has been appointed as Alonso's replacement. While Real Madrid initially performed well under Alonso, winning 10 of their first 11 La Liga games, recent struggles and reports of player discontent contributed to his exit. The Supercopa de Espana final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was Alonso's last match as head coach.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Carlo Ancelotti 30% Manchester City 30% Celta Vigo 30% Liverpool 30% Saudi Arabia ×240% Jeddah 40% Vinicius Junior 40% Supercopa de Espana 60% Barcelona ×270% Alvaro Arbeloa ×270% Xabi Alonso ×790% Real Madrid ×7100%

Keywords

real madrid 100% xabi alonso 100% alvaro arbeloa 90% head coach 90% sacking 90% super cup loss 70% replacement 70% barcelona 60% la liga 50% football 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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real madrid xabi alonso alvaro arbeloa head coach sacking super cup loss replacement barcelona la liga football

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