Real Madrid has parted ways with head coach Xabi Alonso by mutual agreement, following a 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The club has appointed former player and Real Madrid Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa as his immediate replacement. Alonso's seven-month tenure was marked by inconsistent results and reports of player friction, despite an initially strong start and a successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen. Arbeloa, a World Cup winner and decorated former Real Madrid defender, steps up from coaching the club's youth academy.