Real Madrid decided to dismiss Xabi Alonso on Monday evening, and less than an hour later, announced that Castilla manager Alvaro Arbeloa would be taking over from his former teammate. Here’s an idea of what to expect from the ex-right-back.
Arbeloa has been in the Real Madrid system for the past 5.5 years, arriving in 2020 to coach their under-14 side. Moving to the under-16s, Arbeloa has three years in charge of the under-19 team, before taking over from Raul Gonzalez last summer at Castilla. Cadena Cope explain that Arbeloa’s primary quality that has put him in charge of the club’s senior team is his relationship with President Florentino Perez. The pair have been close since he left the club as a player, and has been highly valued by Perez as a coach in the youth ranks.
Taking charge of 200 total games for the Real Madrid academy sides, he has 151 wins to his name, and has been highly successful at every level. The same outlet detail that his sides generally use a 4-3-3 formation, with full-backs that bomb beyond the wide forwards. He tends to emphasize the use of the flanks, with a traditional number nine, forwards cutting in, and in midfield, a singular player anchoring the side in front of the defence.
Off the ball, Arbeloa places a premium on high pressing, and in theory will look to implement in the first team. Previously, he has been compared to Jurgen Klopp in terms of his approach, seeking primarily to win the ball back high up the pitch and exploit the space on the counter-attack.
Real Madrid consider him a modern manager; Diario AS explain that Arbeloa’s arrival in the youth system brought about more professionalism. The ex-Spain international also uses plenty of technology to analyse training and games, often filming sessions with drones. He will often make bold decisions during games to alter the course of matches too.
On the other hand, his passion and partisan nature have gone down well with the club too. Arbeloa has frequently and loudly complained about officiating, defending the club’s war with the referees in Spain. With his players, he tends to be equally as intense, working them hard and seeking to fire them up.
In terms of shape and approach, this should not present a radical change from Alonso – at least before he began altering his plans in November. It does seem Arbeloa has been less flexible thus far than Alonso has in terms of how high his teams defend. Where the dramatic change might come is in terms of personality; the Basque manager was known for being cool and collected, while Arbeloa seems a more emotional leader.
