One night in August at Craven Cottage will gather two ex-Real Madrid in west London derby
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 23.06.26. | 19:05
Alvaro Arbeloa is about to sign a long-term deal with Fulham, who are about to face Xabi Alonso's Chelsea, on the opening night of the new Premier League season
Life connects people in unexpected ways. Look, for instance, at the cases of Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa. The two of them were teammates at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain, and the latter succeeded the former in the Real Madrid dugout last season.
Alas, both were sacked after Florentino Perez and his board deemed their coaching not in line with what Los Blancos should represent.
Following his dismissal, Xabi Alonso chose to pursue a move to the Premier League, joining Chelsea. It now appears that Arbeloa will soon do the same, reportedly agreeing to a deal with another west London club - Fulham.
The Athletic reports that Arbeloa is about to sign a three-year contract with Fulham.
If Fulham completes the deal, Arbeloa will face Alonso on the Premier League's opening night, August 24, at Craven Cottage.
The 43-year-old Arbeloa left his position at Real Madrid at the end of the 2025-26 season, marking only four months in charge since his appointment in January 2026.
Arbeloa had taken over from Xabi Alonso in January 2026, with Madrid trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga. However, the gap widened as Barcelona won the title eight points ahead of their archrival.
During his short spell, Arbeloa's Real Madrid also suffered elimination: Albacete knocked them out in the Copa del Rey’s last-16, while Bayern Munich ended their Champions League run.
Fulham finished 11th for the second straight season under Marco Silva in 2025-26.