After it was confirmed this week that Raul Gonzalez would be moving on, Real Madrid have announced his successor. It was well-known that Los Blancos have been impressed by him, and Alvaro Arbeloa will indeed take over as the Real Madrid Castilla manager ahead of the season.
Arbeloa had been positioned to replace Raul as early as last summer, depending on whether he left. Earlier in the week it was announced by Real Madrid that Raul had decided to leave the club after six seasons as Castilla manager, and several Primera RFEF play-off appearances. The legendary forward also made it clear he planned to return later in his career.
Alvaro Arbeloa takes over from Raul
As detailed by the club statement, Arbeloa has a strong grounding at Real Madrid, coming through their academy system between 2001 and 2005. He would then return as a senior player in 2009, and make 238 appearances in seven years, winning eight trophies in the process, including two Champions Leagues and a Liga title.
Arbeloa has been amongst the youth ranks as a coach at Real Madrid for the past five years, first returning in 2020. For the past three years, he has been in charge of the under-19 side, where he has won the league twice, the Copa del Rey and Champions Cup for their respective age ranges. The 42-year-old has plenty of respect at Real Madrid, and supposedly the ear of President Florentino Perez. Previously, he has been considered as a potential first-team assistant, and he has a good relationship with Xabi Alonso.
What next for Raul and La Fabrica?
Raul looks set to pursue a managerial career elsewhere, with consistent interest from Germany, where he played for Schalke at the end of his career. Over the past two years, Villarreal, Espanyol and Sevilla have supposedly taken an interest in him. The word is that he was holding out for the senior job at Real Madrid, but Alonso’s appointment is a third time he has been passed over. Meanwhile another former Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista is expected to take on a new role.
