On Monday, Real Madrid confirmed the departure of Xabi Alonso as first-team head coach “by mutual agreement”, following the weekend’s 3–2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. The club simultaneously announced Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement, stepping up from his role with Castilla, which he had held since June 2025.
Alonso’s farewell to the Santiago Bernabéu came as a surprise, triggering widespread reaction to the Spaniard’s exit. It is worth remembering that he arrived on the back of a highly successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he restored the club’s European relevance, winning the Bundesliga and reaching the Europa League final.
Among the messages of support for the coach was one from mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former lightweight world champion in the UFC and a well-known soccer fan.
“I think that Alonso is one of the top three coaches of our time. If this team doesn’t work well with him, then they need to change the players, not the coach. I’m just sure that no coach can handle a Real Madrid squad like this. We need to get rid of the capricious players,” read the message shared on social media by CBS.
Nurmagomedov believes the crisis affecting the club does not rest solely on the bench, but also on the players’ attitude. “A year ago they were begging for him. Now they fire him. Because of spoiled kids. Xabi, you are the best,” he added in a message posted to his Instagram stories.