Alvaro Arbeloa named new Fulham head coach

Alvaro Arbeloa has been appointed as Fulham‘s new head coach on a three-year contract.

The 43-year-old former Spain full-back, who finished last season in charge of his long-time club Real Madrid, succeeds Marco Silva after the Portuguese coach departed for Benfica at the end of his contract.

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

“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.”

Fulham co-owner Shahid Khan said: “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.”

He continued: “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.”

Arbeloa endured a turbulent and eventful stint at Real Madrid after being appointed in January following the departure of Xabi Alonso, the new boss of Chelsea‘s near neighbours Chelsea.

Real were beaten by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals before being eclipsed by bitter rivals Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title.

In May, the club fined international midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni €500,000 euro ($822,670) each following a training-ground altercation.

The disciplinary proceedings were the latest in a string of controversies at Real, with defender Antonio Rüdiger reportedly apologizing to the squad for another training-ground clash.

Striker Kylian Mbappe was 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.