Alvaro Arbeloa speaks on ambition, style and decision to become new Fulham head coach

Alvaro Arbeloa speaks on his ambition, style of football and the decision to become the new head coach of Fulham.

He joins on a three year deal, a month and a half after the departure of Marco Silva, who left the club after five years in charge to take charge of Benfica.

Arbeloa began his coaching career when he returned to Real Madrid in September 2020, appointed manager of the under-14 side, and worked his way up in years gone by.

In May 2025, replaced Raul at Castilla and then promoted to the first team in January 2026, after Xabi Alonso left.

Arbeloa guided Real Madrid to the Champions League quarter-finals and finished 2nd in LaLiga.

He then stepped down at the end of the season, leaving on the 9th of June 2026, now preparing for life in the Premier League.

Welcome to Fulham, Álvaro Arbeloa. 🤍

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) July 7, 2026

Interviewer: Avaro, welcome to Fulham.

Alvaro: Thank you.

Interviewer: How pleased are you to be sitting here as the club’s new head coach?

Alvaro: Well, I am very happy and really proud to be here. For me, it’s a great honour to join a club like Fulham.

Interviewer: You spend a bit of time looking around Craven Cottage, the training ground, meeting people. How has this period been for you?

Alvaro: Well, that has been great. I met many people around the club that made me feel very welcome. So, I can’t wait to start working with everyone at the club.

Interviewer: What made this an attractive job for you?

Alvaro: Well, I think Fulham is a historic English football club with an amazing supporter, with a great stadium and of course with a great history and what attracts me more I think is the chance to build something. So when I spoke with the owners and with the people at the club, I felt ambition, I felt honesty and real desire to improve. So I think this club has everything it needs to take the next step. So I’m ready to work and and make this happen.

Interviewer: Yeah, Mr. Khan and Tony Khan have spoken very highly of you recently. What can you tell us about your conversations with them over the summer?

Alvaro: Well, they were very positive, like I said, we have the the same vision and we share the the same ideas and I felt their ambition so they give me a lot of confidence.

Interviewer: Was the club’s transfer strategy something that came up?

Alvaro: Yes, of course. If we want to be ambition we need to to sign players that can improve the squad and obviously we lost some good players from last season. So we need to replace them and now it’s time to to show that ambition by bringing in quality players, this is that I say that can improve the the squad and fit our ideas and obviously the sooner they arrive the better. So every day that we can work together is important because in six weeks we have the first game.

Cottage viewings. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/4ECy6YKgM3

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) July 14, 2026

Interviewer: You mentioned our history. What else can you tell us about what you know as about Fulham as a club?

Alvaro: Well, I think um Fulham is one of of the oldest English football club and like I said with a a great supporter and greatest stadium and I want to respect that history and just ready to write the next chapter.

Interviewer: Can you tell us a little bit please about your style of play as a coach? What what can we expect from your Fulham team?

Alvaro: Well, I want a team with a clear identity. I want to see a team that plays with courage and with personality. We want to be a really offensive team, really brave with the ball and aggressive when we lose it and ready to attack. I think we need to show that passion, that that ambition every game and give everything that we have.

Interviewer: You began your coaching career with Real Madrid’s youth sides, how do you think those experiences have helped to shape you as a coach?

Alvaro: Help me a lot, working with young players, teach you, coach, every detail, teach you to be patient and I believe developing players is one of the most important part of my job.

Interviewer: Yeah. Speaking of developing players, how much you looking forward to meeting all the boys on Wednesday?

Alvaro: Yeah, and I’m ready. I can’t wait to to meet them and start working with them. So, I’m really excited.

Interviewer: Going back to your own playing days, you won practically everything there was to win as a footballer and in doing so, you worked under some very successful managers. Of course, now you’re a manager. You’re your own man. You have your own ideas, but have you taken different things from those various

Alvaro: I think every coach did something. Of course I was very lucky because I have coaches like Mourinho, Ancelotti, Zidane, Benitez, Pellegrini, Del Bosque…. so some of the best coaches in Europe in the world and obviously they were very different and they there are not one way to lead, but you need to be a leader and obviously as you said I think you have to build your own identity and your own ideas.

Interviewer: Obviously you come to us from Real Madrid where you had arguably the biggest job in world football. Firstly, how much did you learn from your time in charge there and how can you apply that to your role here at Fulham?

Alvaro: Well, at Real Madrid, what I learned most I think was the same that I learned when I was a player. Winning is about the the standard that you set every day. It’s about mentality. It’s about self-demanding. It’s about hard work. So discipline and I think the right mentality gives to you the best chance of winning.

Interviewer: Funny you mentioned mentality. I was going to ask you about your Instagram bio because it says no retreat, no surrender. That is Spartan law. So presumably that’s that’s a philosophy you want to see in your team here. One where the players leave everything out on the pitch.

Alvaro: Yes. Always every game. I know results are very important in life in football especially for coaches but I think the attitude is the most important thing how you face every situation and what happened to you and no matter what the circumstances are I think you have to to keep fighting until the end. So that’s mentality is what my team has to show in every game.

Interviewer: You experienced a lot of matches in the Premier League as a player. So, how how much are you looking forward to translating that to doing the same again as a head coach?

Alvaro: Yeah. Yes. I’m so happy to be here in England in the Premier League. I think it’s the best league in the world. So, I really enjoyed it when I was a player and now I’m really excited to to this new challenge as a coach.

Interviewer: I think it was two of those matches were at Craven Cottage for Liverpool. What are your memories of playing here?

Alvaro: Yes, always. It was a difficult place to come because I remember to play against Bobby Zamora or Danny Murphy or Clint Dempsey. What a really good team and obviously you can feel the support that they are really close to to the pitch and they create an amazing atmosphere. So now I want to feel this special moment as a Fulham head coach.

Interviewer: So, we’re back here for our first Premier League match of the season against Chelsea at fierce rival of ours, a team that’s also based in Fulham. That’s just a wonderful way to start the season.

Alvaro: Yes, it’s a I think there is no better way that start with a derby home game against Chelsea. That is a really good team. It’s going to be a tough game, but we need to prepare well and we want to compete. We need to put focus on ourselves and obviously we want to win.

Interviewer: And of course Chelsea have got a new manager as well. Xabi Alonzo, a man you know very very well. Does that make that first game even more special?

Alvaro: Yes, of course. Xabi is a very good friend of mine. I think this will never change. So it’s going to be really really special and I always wish the best in his career because he’s my friend and I think that is who I am. But when the game arrived I think we won the same thing that is win for our clubs and for 90 minutes we are rivals before and after the match we are just friends.

Interviewer: And just finally Alvaro what what would success look like for you at Fulham?

Alvaro: Well like I say I want to build something something special a nice project that our supporter can be proud of. I want to the full supporter enjoy watching the team and if they are proud of me I think I will be successful.