Fulham have appointed former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach on a three-year contract, the Premier League club announced in the early hours of Wednesday, completing a series of high-profile managerial changes involving Real Madrid and Benfica.
The 43-year-old arrives at Craven Cottage following the end of his spell at Madrid, where he stepped up as interim head coach for the second half of last season after Xabi Alonso departed. Arbeloa had previously worked within the club’s academy setup, having also enjoyed a successful playing career with the Spanish giants.
His appointment follows Marco Silva’s departure after five years in charge of Fulham. Silva has since taken over at Benfica, while Jose Mourinho replaced Arbeloa at Real Madrid after leaving the Portuguese club, creating a managerial chain linking three of Europe’s established sides.
Arbeloa said he was eager to begin work with his new squad and embrace life in west London.
“I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week,” Arbeloa said. “I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together.”
Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said the Spaniard impressed the club’s hierarchy throughout the recruitment process.
“Alvaro built an exceptional case through our meetings in June” to become the team’s next coach, Khan said.
“Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious,” the chairman said. “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 now faces the task of building on the foundations established during Silva’s tenure as Fulham prepare for the new Premier League campaign, with pre-season set to begin next week.
