What happened? "Real Madrid" announces immediate separation from "Alonso" as head coach.
On 13 January 2026, Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid announced a sudden split with 44-year-old coach Xabi Alonso after losing 2-3 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The "Los Blancos" statement said, "Real Madrid Club hereby announces that by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his role as head coach of the first team."
"Xabi Alonso will always retain the love and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a legend of Real Madrid and embodies the club's values. Real Madrid will always be his home."
"The club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire staff for their work and dedication and wishes them success in their future endeavors." Real Madrid will appoint former player and Liverpool alumnus Álvaro Arbeloa, currently reserve team coach, as interim head coach.
Xabi Alonso had just taken over as Real Madrid's coach this season, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. He served for only eight months, leading the team to second place in La Liga with 45 points from 19 matches, four points behind leaders Barcelona. His record across all competitions is as follows:
Matches managed: 34
Wins: 24
Draws: 4
Losses: 6
Goals scored: 72
Goals conceded: 38
Winning percentage: 70.59%