Exclusive: Álvaro Arbeloa under serious consideration if Xabi Alonso is dismissed

Real Madrid are actively discussing Álvaro Arbeloa as a leading option to replace Xabi Alonso if the club decides to make a change. Multiple Madrid-based reporters indicate Arbeloa’s internal stock is high thanks to his work in the academy and his alignment with the club’s footballing culture. Early soundings point to a continuity-first approach that favors a quick handover and minimal disruption to the dressing room. Fan reaction online is split, with many pushing for Zinedine Zidane or Jürgen Klopp, while others warn against knee-jerk decisions. The club has made no formal decision yet, but the scenario is on the table.

Madrid-based reporting, including respected voices Mario Cortegana and Guillermo Rai, signals that Álvaro Arbeloa is highly regarded internally as a potential successor should the board dismiss Xabi Alonso. Arbeloa has been embedded in the Real Madrid structure, coaching in the youth setup and working closely with the club’s development pathway. The hierarchy values his tactical clarity, his understanding of the dressing room dynamics, and his familiarity with the academy graduates currently in the first team. As of tonight, this is a contingency under serious review, not a done deal.

🚨 BREAKING: Álvaro Arbeloa is HIGHLY REGARDED as an option to replace Xabi Alonso if he’s sacked. @MarioCortegana @GuillermoRai_

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

If Real Madrid pivot to Álvaro Arbeloa, the immediate impact would be defined by continuity. He knows Valdebebas inside out, has coached several of the club’s emerging names, and communicates in the terse, no-nonsense manner the board trusts. That reduces onboarding risk and protects short-term performance in a congested calendar.

Tactically, Arbeloa favors aggressive pressing triggers, compact lines, and quick vertical play once possession is recovered. That suits Madrid’s current squad profile, which is built on high-tempo transitions and versatile midfielders. The trade-off is experience at the elite touchline. Managing game states in Champions League knockouts, handling superstars in slump or revolt, and navigating the Spanish media cycle are pressure cookers even seasoned coaches struggle with.

From a political angle, a homegrown coach can reset the mood if the board feels the dressing room is fraying. It also buys time to assess longer-term options without committing to an immediate, blockbuster hire. Commercially, the club can market a Madridista figure who champions the academy while protecting wage structure and transfer focus.

The risk is obvious: if results wobble, calls for a heavyweight return like Zidane or a marquee move for Klopp will get loud fast. Arbeloa’s margin for error would be thin, and any hint of player pushback would be amplified. Still, in the short term, the move aligns with the club’s appetite for control, clarity, and cost discipline.

Reaction

Fan sentiment is fiery and polarized. A loud faction is shouting for Zinedine Zidane, calling it Zidane or bust and rejecting any perceived experiment with a young coach. Klopp’s name is everywhere too, with supporters arguing that the squad needs a commanding presence with a trophy-laden CV.

There’s a countercurrent warning the club not to repeat Manchester United’s habit of cycling through managers to appease egos. Those voices argue the problem is structural, not just the coach, and call for moving on certain players and sharpening the club’s scouting and decision-making. Skeptics of Arbeloa question whether first-team stars would fully buy in, citing the risk of respect gaps and the need for a proven crisis manager before the next big European tie.

Others take a pragmatic line: Arbeloa in the frame if Alonso goes is logical given the calendar and the internal fit. But many fear a bad slide against top opposition, with one refrain being we’ll lose to Manchester City if upheaval hits now. The tone across social platforms tonight is equal parts impatience, nostalgia for Zidane, curiosity about Arbeloa, and a deep anxiety about timing.

Social reactions

My Club is slowly becoming the new Arsenal of La Liga.

Alejandro (@Alejandro_Alej0)

Not ready for Solari 2.0! This team has ruined my mental health bro 🥀

Madrid4ever🏳️ (@afshanafshan_)

Xabi is an eurupa league failure coach. Can't believe our fans hyped him so much

REN (@Erling_alvaro7)

Prediction

Short term, expect the club to keep the decision window tight. If results over the next two matches dip, Arbeloa becomes the fastest, cleanest internal solution, likely as a caretaker with a performance clause through season’s end. That stabilizes training ground rhythms and protects the Champions League run-up.

Scenario two: Alonso steadies the ship with a key away win, which resets the temperature and buys weeks, not months. In that case, Arbeloa remains Plan B, while the board discreetly sounds out heavyweight options. Zidane remains the sentimental favorite if he signals green light; Klopp is an elite alternative if he’s ready to jump back in after his break. Both routes demand timing, money, and guarantees over squad planning.

Scenario three: a hybrid path where Arbeloa takes over now, with a clear roadmap to reassess in June. That lets Madrid test-fit a philosophy aligned with the academy pipeline, while keeping room to pivot to a marquee coach if targets become attainable. My read tonight: the club will prize control and speed. Arbeloa is the live option if a trigger is pulled.

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Conclusion

The club is weighing a classic Madrid decision: control and continuity with an insider, or the shock therapy of a legend return. Arbeloa offers fast implementation, cultural fluency, and a calm hand in the training ground. He also carries the predictable risk of learning elite management in real time, under the brightest lights in Europe.

Calls for Zidane or Klopp are understandable. They are proven firebreaks. But timing matters, availability matters, and so does the cost of disruption in-season. If the board believes the dressing room needs a reset without a teardown, Arbeloa is coherent and defensible. If they want an immediate statement, they must be ready to meet the demands and structure that come with a superstar coach.

For now, nothing is signed, but the path is mapped. Madrid are not drifting. They are preparing options and protecting the calendar. If Alonso is sacked, expect a swift internal move with Arbeloa at the front of the line, and bigger chess pieces moving in the background for summer.