Fulham have confirmed the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager, with the former Real Madrid coach signing a three-year contract at Craven Cottage.
The 43-year-old replaces Marco Silva, who ended his five-year spell with the Premier League club after deciding to take charge of Benfica.
Arbeloa described joining Fulham as a major moment in his career, saying he feels a strong responsibility after being trusted by chairman Shahid Khan and vice-chairman Tony Khan to lead the club forward.
Khan praised the Spaniard’s ambition and believes his experience working within Real Madrid’s elite environment will benefit Fulham. He also highlighted Arbeloa’s commitment to attacking football and his interest in developing academy players.
The appointment came with strong backing from Real Madrid figures, including president Florentino Perez and new manager Jose Mourinho, who coached Arbeloa during his playing career at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arbeloa left Madrid at the end of last season after taking charge on an interim basis following Xabi Alonso’s departure in January. He managed the team for their final 28 matches, guiding them to a second-place finish in La Liga before their Champions League campaign ended against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Fulham had considered other candidates, including former Tottenham and Brentford manager Thomas Frank, while Kieran McKenna was viewed as too costly because of the compensation required by Ipswich.
Arbeloa is already looking at possible reinforcements from his former club, with Franco Mastantuono, Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia among the players he is interested in bringing to London.
The Spaniard now begins his first Premier League challenge as Fulham aim to build on the progress made during Silva’s successful spell.