Fulham Football Club have officially named their new head coach.
Previous incumbent Marco Silva decided to see out his contract after five years at the club to take the helm at Benfica in his native Portugal.
Shahid Khan, the owner of the club, now needed to appoint his 9th manager since buying the club outright in 2013.
Prior to Silva taking over, the man in the dugout changed on a regular basis.
Marco Silva oversee an unprecedented stay at Craven Cottage as he helped stabilise and establish Fulham at a competitive English Premier League club.
That task has been handed to another man – and it’s one who knows the English Premier League and the city of London well.
Fulham have officially confirmed that Alvaro Arbeloa is the new head coach of the club.
Arbeloa was most recently handed the Real Madrid managers job after Los Blancos dismissed Xabi Alonso in January and he led the club to second in LaLiga and the quarter finals in the UEFA Champions League.
Alvaro Arbeloa, of course, played in the English Premier League with both Liverpool and West Ham United – spending three years in English for a spell that was sandwiched with him playing for Real Madrid.
While the former Liverpool star was named Real Madrid manager, it was always seen as an appointment of convenience.
Arbeloa was Real Madrid B manager at the time and was seen as a safe pair of hands to hold the reins until the end of the season.
This appointment by Fulham, however, is more intentional.
It’s clear that Fulham’s hierarchy were impressed with how the former Spanish international conducted himself during his time in the dugout at the Bernabeu and believe that he’s the right fit to take over from Marco Silva.
Fulham confirmed that the 49-year-old has signed a 3 year contract, keeping him at Craven Cottage until 2029.
“It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London,” Arbeloa said on the Fulham website.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr. 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 and beginning pre-season with the players next week. I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together.
“Come on Fulham!”
Liverpool fans will get a chance to see their former player fairly soon into the 2026/27 season with a clash between the two clubs scheduled as the fourth game of the season.
For now, Alvaro Arbeloa will be hoping to show the footballing world how good his coaching skills really are.
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