Manchester United’s search for a new head coach to replace Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford dugout might now be affected by factors outside of their control.
The Red Devils appointed Darren Fletcher as interim head coach last Monday after Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United managerial reign ended with his sacking.
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Darren Fletcher has overseen the Red Devils’ last two matches and the current Manchester United Under-18s head coach is only a temporary appointment.
United will install a caretaker manager until the end of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, with Michael Carrick now tipped as the favourite to land the role.
Amorim’s dismissal as United head coach has left Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the hunt for a new manager ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
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Real Madrid have shown the challenge Man Utd face with getting a new permanent manager in the summer
Manchester United have been linked with several names to succeed Ruben Amorim in the summer, including Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Thomas Tuchel.
However, Real Madrid have shown Man Utd how volatile the managerial market is with their sacking of former Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso on Monday.
“Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end,” reads the statement on Real Madrid’s official website.
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Los Blancos continued: “Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.”
Xabi Alonso left Bayer Leverkusen at the end of last season and the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder replaced Carlo Ancelotti as Los Blancos head coach.
Fast-forward from his 2024 appointment to today and Alonso’s reign is over after Los Blancos lost 3-2 to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
Madrid’s dismissal of the ex-Bayer Leverkusen and Los Blancos boss proves that Man Utd face competition from other clubs in the summer who also sack their managers.
Real Madrid already have a Xabi Alonso successor, but Los Blancos could still end up repeating the process
Real Madrid confirmed that Alvaro Arbeloa had been promoted from his role as the coach of the Castilla side to the manager of their senior squad after Xabi Alonso’s sacking.
“Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach,” Los Blancos posted in a statement on Real Madrid’s website.
The La Liga side added: “As a player, Álvaro Arbeloa was part of Real Madrid in one of the most successful periods of its history.”
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Alvaro Arbeloa might be the new head coach of Madrid now, but considering how fast Alonso was axed, they could end up sacking their latest manager before the summer as well.
The cyclical nature of Los Blancos – and even other European clubs – means that the already narrow pool of quality managers could end up getting reduced further.
Ineos and Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to be efficient with their Man Utd succession plan to Amorim before the end of the current season.
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