Will Real Madrid sack Alvaro Arbeloa? What Champions League failure, La Liga struggles mean for coach's future

Will Real Madrid sack Alvaro Arbeloa? What Champions League failure, La Liga struggles mean for coach's future originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

It looks increasingly likely as the weeks progress that Real Madrid will finish the 2025/26 season without a trophy. If that does indeed come to pass, as they are out of the Champions League and nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona in the La Liga title race, it would be the first time in 16 years that Madrid would go two consecutive seasons without winning a major title (if we consider last season's UEFA Super Cup to fall short of "major" honours). Having dismissed Xabi Alonso back in January after only a half-season in charge, the club appointed youth-team boss Alvaro Arbeloa, a former player at Real Madrid, as the next manager.

Los Blancos brass were tight-lipped about how long Arbeloa would remain in charge, but the season's likely empty conclusion feels as though it will seal his fate. The Sporting News discusses what the situation is with Arbeloa and how Madrid will look to move on from another empty campaign. MORE: Real Madrid injury list and latest team news for their next match Will Real Madrid sack Alvaro Arbeloa?

While nothing is confirmed at this stage and because the La Liga title race is not technically over quite yet, according to multiple reports around Spain and the rest of Europe, it seems highly likely that Arbeloa will not be retained beyond this season. Mario Cortegana of The Athletic reported that Arbeloa is "very likely be dismissed" at some point, probably the end of the season. The report claims that the squad has largely supported Arbeloa who "has improved the atmosphere in the dressing room enough to help maintain a professional environment" until the final weeks of the campaign.