Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed he will leave Real Madrid after Saturday's final game against Athletic Club, bringing a short first senior spell to an end. He was only promoted from Real Madrid B in January to replace his former Liverpool team-mate Xabi Alonso, but a trophyless season, a second-place league finish and broader uncertainty around the squad left very little sense that this would run on.

Why Arbeloa's departure was heading this way

Arbeloa did not dress it up. Speaking to bbc.co.uk, he said: "It will be my last game this season as coach of Real Madrid, I don't know if it will be the last game of my life as coach of Real Madrid."

That line leaves a little room for sentiment, and he leaned into that too. "I hope it's a see you later... I've always considered this my home, I've belonged to Madrid for 20 years in various roles."

The problem for him was that affection and patience are not the same thing at Real Madrid. The club will finish La Liga as runners-up with 83 points from 37 matches. The brief also states they went out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. For a coach taking his first senior job in January, that is a brutal setting. For Madrid, it is still a failed season.

The dressing-room issue needs a bit more care. Some reporting has pushed the unrest angle hard, while BBC stops short of saying Arbeloa is leaving solely because of that. The safer reading is that results were already poor by the club's standards, and any friction inside the squad only made his position weaker. That feels closer to the evidence than pretending one factor explains everything.

Mourinho is looming and Arbeloa has already made his position clear

The next step looks obvious, even if it is not official yet. BBC reports Jose Mourinho is in final negotiations to take charge at Real Madrid.

Arbeloa has no intention of staying on under him. "There's no chance that I would be with him. Then, my future... from Monday I'll think about that," he said.

He also acknowledged what Mourinho's arrival would mean behind the scenes: "Mou has a fantastic technical team, he's got good people around him, if he comes to Madrid he will come with his team."

That matters because it confirms this is a clean break, not a reshuffle. Arbeloa is leaving, Mourinho is the expected reset, and Madrid are moving quickly after a season that never settled.

Vinicius Junior's omission adds to the unsettled finish

The final match has another loose end. Vinícius Júnior will not be included in the matchday squad against Athletic Club.

The brief presents two versions of that absence. One is that it is effectively rest after a heavy season. The other is that Madrid granted permission for him to leave before reporting for Brazil duty. Both point to the same wider issue: this squad is already sliding toward summer before the campaign has fully ended.

The workload angle is easy to understand. Vinícius Júnior has played 53 times in all competitions and also made six appearances in last summer's Club World Cup. His contract runs until 2027, so there is no confirmed resolution on that front either.

For Arbeloa, though, the main story is already settled. Saturday is his last game of the season in charge of Real Madrid, Mourinho is in final negotiations to replace him, and the club head into the summer after finishing second in La Liga on 83 points from 37 matches.

FAQ

Why is Alvaro Arbeloa leaving Real Madrid after such a short spell?

Arbeloa confirmed Saturday will be his last game this season as Real Madrid coach. The clearest reasons in the brief are a trophyless campaign, a runner-up finish in La Liga with 83 points from 37 matches, and wider tension around the squad. BBC does not pin the exit only on dressing-room unrest, but the season clearly became hard to sustain.

Is Jose Mourinho replacing Alvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid?

BBC reports Jose Mourinho is in final negotiations to take charge at Real Madrid, but he has not been formally appointed in the brief. Arbeloa has already ruled out staying on under him, saying there is no chance he would be with Mourinho and that he will think about his own future from Monday.

Why is Vinicius Junior missing the Real Madrid squad against Athletic Club?

Vinicius Junior will not be in the matchday squad against Athletic Club. The brief presents two explanations: either a rest-related absence or permission to leave early before reporting for Brazil duty. What is clear is that he has already played 53 times in all competitions and also made six appearances in last summer's Club World Cup.

Did Real Madrid win La Liga this season?

No. Real Madrid will finish as La Liga runners-up with 83 points from 37 matches. The brief lists that second-place finish as part of the backdrop to Arbeloa's departure after a season without a major trophy.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →