Sports News

Xabi Alonso leaves Real Madrid a day after Super Cup loss; Arbeloa steps up

Real Madrid announced on Monday, 12 January, that coach Xabi Alonso had left the club “by mutual agreement”, one day after a 3-2 defeat by Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Former defender Alvaro Arbeloa, promoted from the reserve team Castilla, takes over at once and will be on the bench for Wednesday's Copa del Rey tie at Albacete.

Al Jazeera stressed how well it had started: Madrid won 10 of their first 11 La Liga games under Alonso but have now slipped to second. Arab News, carrying Reuters, said Madrid had led the league by five points and now trail Barcelona by four, and pointed to reports of clashes with senior players including Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr.

“Real Madrid will always be his home.” — Real Madrid statement, via Arab News

CBS Sports called it a shock move and gave his record as 22 wins, four draws and five defeats in all competitions. It contrasted that with his unbeaten Bundesliga title at Bayer Leverkusen, and presented Arbeloa, a 2010 World Cup winner, as a club-grown choice.

How each outlet framed it

• Al Jazeera — a bright start that faded, and the club's own wording.
• Arab News (Reuters) — results plus dressing-room tension.
• CBS Sports — a shock exit, and a homegrown replacement.

Where the numbers differ: CBS Sports said Alonso lasted about six months, Reuters a little more than seven months, and The Irish News less than eight months, depending on whether the count starts with his May contract or his first match.