Real Madrid's elimination from the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich will undoubtedly trigger another round of upheaval within the club, with head coach Álvaro Arbeloa's position being the first to be affected.
The 43-year-old coach took over from Xabi Alonso in January this year, but the pressure of managing Real Madrid is immense, especially after the chaotic defeat to Bayern at the Allianz Arena. He is likely to be dismissed, though he may continue to coach until the end of the season.
What does the future hold for Arbeloa?
There is a general consensus within Real Madrid that Arbeloa will most likely be sacked but will see out the remainder of the season.
The logic behind this view is that changing the head coach now would be meaningless, as the team has no honours left to compete for. As a club man, Arbeloa has improved the dressing room atmosphere sufficiently to maintain a professional and harmonious working environment until May.
Although Arbeloa performed exceptionally well as a youth coach and is highly regarded by president Florentino Pérez, his position as Real Madrid head coach has always been precarious.
In the January announcement of Arbeloa's promotion from reserve team coach to Real Madrid head coach, the club did not specify the exact duration of his new contract. Since then, rumours have persisted about potential replacements for next season or earlier.
At that time, Real Madrid sources declined to comment on Arbeloa's status and future, while those close to him stated that his contract runs until at least the end of next season. Neither side has publicly discussed the matter since then.
Arbeloa's good relationship with Real Madrid leadership
Before starting as a youth coach in 2020, Arbeloa served multiple times as a Real Madrid ambassador, meaning he could take on other roles within the club if he wishes.
However, Arbeloa clearly prefers to continue as head coach, as he has ambitious career aspirations.
In Wednesday's post-match press conference, in addition to answering questions about his future, Arbeloa stated: “I am not worried about my future at all. Since I became Real Madrid coach, this has never been a concern of mine. I feel I have given my all to help the players win every day.”
The possibility of Pochettino & Klopp
The Daily Mail Sports has learned that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez highly admires both Jürgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. Former Liverpool coach Klopp currently holds a senior position at Red Bull Group, while Pochettino, who has managed Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, will lead the United States national team at the World Cup this summer.
Klopp's coaching resume and personal charisma make him an ideal candidate for Real Madrid, but there are doubts about whether the German coach is willing to return to the dugout. He left Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season and has shown little willingness to embrace that high-pressure lifestyle again since then. However, the opportunity to manage one of the most prestigious clubs in the world may be difficult to refuse.
Meanwhile, if Pochettino leaves his role with the United States national team, he is likely to appear on the shortlist of several clubs. Pérez has expressed interest in Pochettino twice before—once during his time at Tottenham Hotspur and again during his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine coach had an excellent relationship with Kylian Mbappé at Paris Saint-Germain, and the French star, now in his second season at Real Madrid, would likely be happy to work with him again.
Pochettino proved at Tottenham Hotspur that he can develop English players, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Eric Dier all making significant progress during his tenure. Similarly, Klopp launched Trent Alexander-Arnold's career at Liverpool and transformed him into one of the most high-profile English players in the world.
The possibility of Mourinho's second spell at Real Madrid
Famous journalist Fabrizio Romano updated his personal video podcast, discussing the possibility of José Mourinho returning to Real Madrid for a second spell.
“Today someone asked me about Mourinho again. Is it possible for Mourinho to return to Real Madrid? Obviously, there is still a connection between Mourinho and Real Madrid. I can tell you that Mourinho himself hopes to have the opportunity to return to Real Madrid one day and would be open to it. But at the moment, that's all. It is not true to tell you that Real Madrid are negotiating with Mourinho to bring him back. It's still too early. We must first see what Real Madrid decides to do about the head coach position, which remains part of internal discussions.”
