A new battle awaits Arda Güler at Real Madrid: ‘Jose Mourinho’
Real Madrid have announced the dismissal of head coach Xabi Alonso following a 3–2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Former Real Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as his replacement. With this managerial change, a new challenge now awaits Turkish international Arda Güler after the Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso eras: Jose Mourinho.
At the Spanish giants Real Madrid, the Xabi Alonso era came to an end after the Super Cup final. Following the departure of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the 2024–2025 season, Alonso had taken over the managerial role.
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Shortly afterwards, the club announced that former player Álvaro Arbeloa—who has been working within Real Madrid’s youth system since 2020—had been appointed as the new head coach. In an official statement, the club said:
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that Álvaro Arbeloa is the new head coach of the first team. Arbeloa has been in charge of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career within the Real Madrid academy since 2020.”
Meanwhile, Arda Güler, who joined Real Madrid from Fenerbahçe, has now spent two and a half years at the club and has already worked under two different managers. The young midfielder began to receive regular playing time under Xabi Alonso.
While Carlo Ancelotti faced criticism for not giving Güler sufficient opportunities and allegedly hindering his development, the Basque coach started his tenure by naming Arda in the starting XI. Alonso maintained this approach in several matches but opted to bench the young player in recent weeks—a change that ultimately failed to secure his position.
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According to reports compiled by Skorer from the Spanish press, Arbeloa offered insight into his managerial philosophy during a television appearance, hinting at the environment awaiting players in the new era at Real Madrid. Speaking on the program El Chiringuito, the young coach openly described himself as a strong admirer of Jose Mourinho, calling himself a “Mourinho disciple.”
Explaining that his mentality is similar to the renowned Portuguese coach, Arbeloa said:
“I try to be like Mourinho as much as possible. Being a Mourinhista means doing things directly, always being honest, and not being afraid to be yourself.”
During his playing career, Arbeloa worked alongside Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013.
