Fulham appoint former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa as head coach on three-year deal
Fulham have appointed former Real Madrid and Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach on a contract running until 2029, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
Appointment
Fulham have appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as head coach on a three-year contract running until the summer of 2029. The 43-year-old Spaniard succeeds Marco Silva, who departed after five seasons to take over at Benfica. Arbeloa returns to English football for the first time since his playing days at West Ham United ended in 2017.
Arbeloa's path to Fulham
Arbeloa enjoyed a decorated playing career, winning two Champions League titles with Real Madrid and the 2010 World Cup with Spain. He also played for Liverpool and West Ham in the Premier League. His coaching career began in Real Madrid's youth system, progressing through the Under-19 side and Real Madrid Castilla before being promoted to first-team coach in January 2026, replacing Xabi Alonso.
His short spell in charge of Real Madrid was mixed. The team exited the Copa del Rey in the last 16 against second-division Albacete and saw a four-point gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona widen to eight points by season's end. In the Champions League, Real Madrid eliminated Benfica and Manchester City but were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich, ending a second consecutive season without a trophy.
- Replaces Xabi Alonso as head coach
- Shock defeat to second-division Albacete
- Gap to Barcelona widens from 4 to 8 points
- Eliminated by Bayern Munich
- Second consecutive season without a trophy
Fulham under Silva and the road ahead
Under Silva, Fulham won the Championship title in his first season and then recorded Premier League finishes of 10th, 13th, 11th and 11th over the past four campaigns. The club finished 11th again last season and will open the new campaign at home to Chelsea on August 24, pitting Arbeloa against his predecessor Alonso.
- 2022-23
- 10
- 2023-24
- 13
- 2024-25
- 11
- 2025-26
- 11
What they said
It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London. I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to Mr. Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me.
Fulham owner Shahid Khan said Arbeloa was one of the initial candidates and quickly became the clear choice.
Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham.
Wider context
The move continues a managerial reshuffle that saw Marco Silva replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica, while Mourinho returned to Real Madrid. Arbeloa had previously stated he would not work under Mourinho. The Athletic reported last month that Fulham were finalising a three-year deal for Arbeloa, and the club had maintained there were two leading candidates before settling on the Spaniard.
