Real Madrid’s Arbeloa confirms departure following trophy-less season

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed he will leave his position at the conclusion of the current season, which ended without a trophy. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Arbeloa addressed widespread reports that former manager Jose Mourinho is returning to the club, explicitly stating he would not remain with the technical staff if Mourinho is appointed as his successor.

Arbeloa, who was appointed by President Florentino Perez in January to replace Xabi Alonso, indicated that his final match in charge will be against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu. When asked directly if he would be coaching the team next season, he replied, “Yes,” confirming his departure.

Addressing the speculation surrounding Mourinho’s potential return, Arbeloa noted that the Portuguese coach typically brings his own support structure. “Mou has a fantastic technical team, he’s got good people around him, if he comes to Madrid he will come with his team,” Arbeloa said. “There’s no chance that I would be with him.”

The Spaniard, who played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2016 and later coached the club’s youth teams, expressed hope that his departure is not permanent. Citing his 20-year association with the institution, he described the club as his home and hoped the upcoming fixture would be a “see you later” rather than a final goodbye.

The club is currently in the final match of a turbulent campaign in La Liga. The lack of success has drawn external criticism, including comments from Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who accused Real Madrid of using referee disputes to mask its recent trophy drought and internal issues.

Arbeloa stated he would consider his future from Monday onwards. While he intends to enjoy his last game as coach, he acknowledged the uncertainty of whether this would be his final match with the club in any capacity.