Fulham Appoint Alvaro Arbeloa on Mourinho and Perez's Recommendation
Fulham have officially appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach on a three-year deal, the club confirmed, ending a managerial search that followed Marco Silva's departure to Benfica.
Real Madrid's backing carried weight
Arbeloa's candidacy was strengthened by glowing references from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and Jose Mourinho, the man who replaced him in the Bernabeu dugout, the BBC reported. Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said Arbeloa "has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham," and pointed to his interest in the club's academy as a deciding factor in the hire.
A short, rocky spell in Madrid
Arbeloa took interim charge at Real Madrid in January after Xabi Alonso's exit, but the appointment was never made permanent. His six months in the job included a Copa del Rey exit to second-tier Albacete, a Champions League quarter-final elimination to Bayern Munich, and Madrid conceding the La Liga title to Barcelona. He finished with a 64.29 percent win ratio across 28 games in charge, according to Sports Illustrated.
Why Fulham moved for him anyway
Fulham's first-choice target, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, turned down the approach entirely, stepping away from management. Fulham also explored Frank Lampard, Abel Ferreira and Ruben Amorim before turning to Arbeloa, per Goal.com. Yahoo Sports separately reported that agent Jorge Mendes, who also brokered Mourinho's return to Madrid and Silva's move to Benfica, recommended Arbeloa for the Fulham job as part of a broader three-way managerial swap across the three clubs.
What Arbeloa said
"It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London," Arbeloa said, via the club's official website. "I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week."
Arbeloa will now be based just over a mile from former Real Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso, who takes charge at Chelsea this season.
