It’s now official. Following Raúl’s departure as the coach of Castilla (Real Madrid’s reserve team), Álvaro Arbeloa has been promoted to take charge of Castilla. The hope is that he can achieve what Raúl couldn’t: promotion to the Second Division. Castilla is currently playing in the Primera Federación, and moving up a tier would significantly raise the level of competition—narrowing the gap between the first team and Castilla.
Official Statement from Real Madrid:
Real Madrid C.F. announces that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the coach of Castilla starting with the 2025–2026 season.
Arbeloa is a legend of Real Madrid and Spanish football, and one of the most iconic academy graduates in our club’s history.
He joined our youth academy in 2001 as a player for Juvenil A and was part of the Castilla squad that earned promotion to the Second Division in the 2004–2005 season.
With the first team, he played 238 matches between 2009 and 2016. During those seven seasons, he was part of one of the most successful eras in our history, winning:
- 2 Champions Leagues
- 1 Club World Cup
- 1 UEFA Super Cup
- 1 La Liga
- 2 Copa del Rey titles
- 1 Spanish Super Cup
With the Spanish national team, he earned 56 caps and was part of the squad that won the unforgettable 2010 World Cup in South Africa, as well as 2 European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
He arrived at Real Madrid’s first team from Liverpool, where he played 98 matches over three seasons.
His entire coaching career has taken place within Real Madrid’s youth system since 2020. He coached:
- Infantil A in 2020–2021, winning the league
- Cadete A in 2021–2022
- Juvenil A from 2022 to 2025
As Juvenil A coach, he achieved the treble in the 2022–2023 season: League, Copa del Rey, and Champions Cup. He also won the league again this season and is currently competing in the Final Four of the Champions Cup.
Arbeloa has always exemplified the values of our club and has passed them on during his time as a youth coach.