Alvaro Arbeloa appointed Fulham manager after Real Madrid exit | OneFootball

Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed Fulham manager after his departure from Real Madrid at the end of last season.

Arbeloa, 43, succeeds Marco Silva in the Craven Cottage dugout after the Portuguese coach left at the end of his contract, opting to join Benfica rather than pen a new deal.

It acts as a return to the Premier League for the former Spain international, who two years at Liverpool during his playing days before finishing his career at West Ham.

“It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London,” Arbeloa said.

“I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr (Shahid) Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.

“I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week. I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together.”

Fulham co-owner Shahid Khan added: “Alvaro was an original candidate who built an exceptional case through our meetings in June to become our next Head Coach, and it quickly became quite clear that he was – and is – the right choice.

“I am delighted that Alvaro has accepted the challenge to push Fulham forward, and I have no doubt that our squad, staff and fans will resonate with what his appointment means for the present and future of our club.

“Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham.”

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Alvaro Arbeloa arrives after a turbulent spell at Real Madrid (PA Wire)

The former Spain international arrives after a turbulent spell at the Santiago Bernabeu which saw Real Madrid end the season trophyless for a second successive year.

Arbeloa oversaw Real as they were beaten by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals before being eclipsed by bitter rivals Barcelona in the race for the LaLiga title.

He was then at the helm for a string of controversies at Real, with the club fining international midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni 500,000 euro (£432,000) each following a training-ground altercation.

Striker Kylian Mbappe was also reported to have been involved in an angry exchange with a member of the club’s coaching staff who was acting as an assistant referee in a training match, while defender Antonio Rudiger reportedly apologised to the squad for another training-ground clash.

He had been appointed to steer the ship after Xabi Alonso’s sacking in January, promoted from his role as head coach of Real Madrid Castilla, but now finds himself just down the road from Alonso who has taken over at Fulham’s near neighbours Chelsea.

The pair will meet in the first game of the Premier League season at Craven Cottage on 24 August.