Fulham confirm Alvaro Arbeloa appointed to replace Marco Silva as head coach ahead of new Premier League season
Published 08/07/2026 at 08:37 GMT+1
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Premier League side Fulham have moved to replace Marco Silva as head coach after the Portuguese departed to replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica. They have appointed former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa - the man Mourinho replaced at the Bernabeu.
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Silva left at the end of the season after five successful years at Craven Cottage and has returned to Portugal to take over at Benfica from Mourinho.
Fulham finished in 11th spot in Silva's final season in charge of the club and he won the EFL Championship with them in 2022.
Benfica saw Mourinho depart to take over at Real Madrid after Arbeloa’s stay in charge at the Bernabeu was not extended.
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Arbeloa stepped in when Xabi Alonso - who has since joined Chelsea - left the club, but he failed to catch Barcelona in the race for La Liga.
Silva had been expected to leave for several months and Arbeloa had been linked to Fulham, with several Real Madrid youngsters also tipped to join him in West London.
The Premier League club confirmed the appointment in a statement on their official website, writing: ”The club is delighted to announce the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa as the new head coach of Fulham.
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"The 43-year-old has agreed a three-year deal, tying him to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2029.”
Arbeloa added: ”It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London.
"I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to Mr Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.
”I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week.
"I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together.
Fulham chair Shahid Khan said: "Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham.
"Alvaro also has great interest in our academy set-up and believes in giving young players a chance. I loved hearing that from Alvaro, as well as his intent on playing attacking football."
Arbeloa had two spells in the Premier League as a player, usually operating as a right-sided defender.
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He joined Liverpool in 2008 and played 98 times for the club before moving to Real Madrid at the start of the 2009 season.
He featured 233 times for the club, winning La Liga once and the Champions League twice.
He then had a short spell at West Ham in the 2016/17 season, playing three times before retiring.
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