The Mourinho acolyte with a taste for a row: How new Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa scrapped with beefcake ex-team-mate Fernando Torres - and has strong ideas on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Co
Real Madrid are never afraid of making a ruthless managerial decision and they did that once more on Monday evening when Xabi Alonso was sacked. Twenty four hours later he was gone and replaced by his former Liverpool, Real and Spain team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa. As a player, Arbeloa helped Madrid win eight major honours from 2009-16, including two Champions League and one LaLiga title. The 42-year-old had been coaching their B team, Real Madrid Castilla - often deploying a 4-3-3 formation, since June and prior to that their youth teams. 'He was like a bullet-proof vest for the players,' Arbeloa reflected.
Source: Daily Mail January 13, 2026 15:19 UTC
