Álvaro Arbeloa has confirmed he will leave his post as Real Madrid manager this summer.
“I’m leaving Real Madrid with immense gratitude as the players have made me a better person and made me enjoy every day,” he confirmed on Friday.
“I want to see a great match and say goodbye to the fans by giving them a victory and a great effort. Playing the last match at home is special and different. The most important thing on a day like tomorrow is to make them enjoy it.
“I hope it’s just a ‘see you later’ because I’ve always considered this my home. I’ve been with Real Madrid for 20 years in many different roles. This will be my last match this season as Real Madrid coach, and I don’t know if it will be the last of my career as Real Madrid coach.
“I’ll try to enjoy it and focus on winning. Starting Monday, I’ll have to think about what’s best for me. I’ve taken the next step, I’ve improved a lot in these four months, and I feel ready for new challenges.”
Arbeloa: No Chance of Working with Mourinho
Replacing Arbeloa in the Madrid dugout this summer is expected to be José Mourinho, who has already agreed to a comeback with club president Florentino Pérez.
It was suggested to Arbeloa that he could remain as part of Mourinho’s coaching staff, but the departing boss insisted his next post will be elsewhere.
“I’m not here to talk about possibilities,” Arbeloa stressed. “Mourinho has a fantastic coaching staff, he’s very well supported. If he comes, he’ll come with his own people, as it should be. There’s no possibility of me joining him.
“I’ve spent these four months thinking about Real Madrid, from now on it’s time to think about myself. I’ve taken the leap, I feel ready for new challenges.”
Arbeloa will bring the curtain down on his Madrid tenure with Saturday’s visit from Athletic Club, which will be his 28th game in charge of the team. As it stands, he has overseen 17 wins, two draws and eight losses.
