Real Madrid has a new coach, but not just for the first team: Álvaro Arbeloa is also making his debut with Real Madrid Castilla this season. The two coaches share more than just their position within the club: they were teammates during their playing days and have maintained a great relationship that goes beyond sports. It is hoped that together they will be able to strengthen the club’s youth academy in the coming years.
A new era at Real Madrid
You could say that there is a change of cycle at Real Madrid. It is curious that the club’s main sports areas have new coaches, not only in the first and second teams, but also in women’s soccer, where Pau Quesada takes over as coach, and in basketball, with the return of Sergio Scariolo. But focusing on men’s soccer, the club has opted to appoint two people to manage the first and second teams who, together, can contribute a lot to the club in the coming seasons.
Firstly, Xabi Alonso has already shown since he arrived at the club for the Club World Cup that he will be looking very closely at the youth academy. He put his faith in Gonzalo for the international tournament and made him the Golden Boot winner of the championship, starting in every single game and leaving heavyweights such as Rodrygo on the bench, and choosing the youth player ahead of Brahim and even Mbappé, who was not quite back to his best.
And he won’t be the only addition to the first team for next season. Now it’s the turn of Manuel Ángel, the Castilla captain who is already training with the senior team, and since the club doesn’t seem to be bringing in the midfielder that Tolosarra wants, it looks like he will be the new signing for the new league championship. Manuel Ángel is a 21-year-old Andalusian whose progress has been hampered by injuries, yet he does not seem to have lost any of his quality, playing a decisive role for the reserve team in the final stretch of last season. His versatility, ball control, vision, and ability to dictate the pace of the game have earned him a place in Xabi Alonso’s plans for the new season. He will be registered with the reserve team, but could become a regular for Xabi Alonso.
Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa to change the dynamic
As is well known, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa share more than just a past as teammates at Real Madrid: they have a great relationship, and knowing that the Tolosa-born coach will be watching the youngsters very closely, his relationship with Álvaro could be decisive in polishing the young talent coming through the ranks. For his part, Arbeloa has already demonstrated in the youth ranks his ability to get the best out of young people, and he is confident that he can take Castilla to the silver tier of Spanish soccer.
Real Madrid is entering a new era in which it hopes that the youth academy will play a much more prominent role. The market is becoming unsustainable, and now more than ever, the club is looking to optimize the resources it has at home. It is hoped that Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa will be able to lead this change in trend and spearhead Real Madrid’s new project beyond the current season, which is about to begin.