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Real Madrid Replaces Coach Xabi Alonso with B Team Manager Alvaro Arbeloa

Real Madrid's defender Alvaro Arbeloa celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs UD Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 29, 2015. (AFP)
Real Madrid's defender Alvaro Arbeloa celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs UD Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 29, 2015. (AFP)
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Real Madrid Replaces Coach Xabi Alonso with B Team Manager Alvaro Arbeloa

Real Madrid's defender Alvaro Arbeloa celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs UD Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 29, 2015. (AFP)
Real Madrid's defender Alvaro Arbeloa celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs UD Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 29, 2015. (AFP)

Real Madrid replaced coach Xabi Alonso with B team manager Alvaro Arbeloa on Monday.

Madrid said in a statement that Alonso left by mutual agreement.

The announcement came a day after Madrid lost to Barcelona 3-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. It ended a tumultuous stint that lasted less than eight months for the former Madrid and Spain midfielder.

“Real Madrid 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,” Madrid said. “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.”

The club thanked Alonso and his coaching staff for “their hard work and dedication throughout this time and wish them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso was under pressure as the team struggled to play well under his command. He had spats with players such as Vinícius Júnior and widespread media reports said he'd lost the locker room.

Madrid trails Barcelona by four points at the halfway point of La Liga.

Like Alonso, Arbeloa is a former player of the Spanish powerhouse, helping it win eight titles from 2009-16, including two European Cups and one Spanish league. Arbeloa also helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

He had been coaching the B team since June. He had also coached youth teams at the club.

Alonso arrived in May with high expectations and a contract to June 2028. He led Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented German league and cup double in his first full season after taking over the team when it was in the Bundesliga relegation zone the season before.

As a midfielder, Alonso won six titles with Madrid from 2009-14 and a World Cup and Euros champion teammate of Arbeloa's.

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Sports

Late Gvardiol Strike Earns Maresca Winning Start and Brighton Hammer Villa

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
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Late Gvardiol Strike Earns Maresca Winning Start and Brighton Hammer Villa

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v AFC Bournemouth - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - August 23, 2026 Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol celebrate after the match REUTERS/Chris Radburn

City's post-Pep Guardiola era began with late drama as Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time winner secured a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca's first Premier League game in charge on Sunday.

The defender thought he had been denied when his close-range finish was ruled offside, only for a VAR review to overturn the decision and spark wild celebrations at the Etihad Stadium after Marc Guehi had earlier hauled City level.

"Everyone is proud in the moment, it's the opening game of the season and we know how important it is, especially with all the changes we've had in the previous weeks," Gvardiol told Sky Sports. "We need to enjoy this, we deserve it and I'm ⁠happy with the ⁠three points."

The hosts had been stunned in the 26th minute when City failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Rayan to release Evanilson down the right, and the Brazilian's low cross found Marcus Tavernier unmarked at the far post for a simple finish.

But Maresca's side kept pressing and were rewarded in the 84th minute when Guehi rose highest to power home ⁠a corner. Gvardiol won it in the 91st minute when Rayan Cherki poked the ball through a gap in the back line and the defender swivelled before slotting home.

Erling Haaland, sporting a new buzz cut after ditching his trademark flowing blonde hair, had earlier squandered a good opportunity when he misjudged his run and headed Nico O'Reilly's inviting cross away from goal.

Aston Villa suffered a nightmare opening match as they were beaten 4-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion, with all the goals and a red card for Joao Gomes coming in the first half. An own goal by Victor Lindelof was ⁠followed by ⁠a Maxim De Cuyper finish. Jack Hinshelwood then scored twice in less than two minutes.

Villa, who lost key players Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa in a transfer-window exodus, went behind in the eighth minute when Pau Torres played a loose ball back into his own area, allowing De Cuyper to pounce, Reuters reported. The Belgian's shot struck the post before rebounding in off Lindelof.

Worse followed in the 18th minute when Georginio Rutter delivered a cross that De Cuyper converted from close range.

Hinshelwood swept home the third in the 30th minute before striking again barely a minute later when Villa lost possession straight from the restart.

Villa were reduced to 10 men when Gomes was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 40th minute.

Sports

Norris Wins F1's Dutch Grand Prix after Battle with Antonelli

First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal
First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal
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Norris Wins F1's Dutch Grand Prix after Battle with Antonelli

First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal
First placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates with the trophy on the podium after the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort racetrack in Zandvoort, Netherlands, 23 August 2026. EPA/Sem van der Wal

McLaren’s Lando Norris passed Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton in the space of a single lap before holding on to win the Dutch Grand Prix for back-to-back Formula 1 victories Sunday.

Norris started on pole but was overtaken by Antonelli's Mercedes at a restart after the race was stopped for a heavy crash by home hero Max Verstappen, who was unhurt, shortly after the start.

Norris reeled in Antonelli before passing him around the outside of the first corner in a daring move on lap 54 of 72, then took the lead from Ferrari's Hamilton before the lap was over.

The defending champion held on with old tires to take the win. “This fight is still on," he said over team radio.

“The move (to pass Antonelli) was good. I knew I was not going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind him my chances got lower and lower,” Norris said. “Well played from my part...I probably had one chance.”

Antonelli was second after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was ordered to move out of his way, following a failed gamble on a tire change by Antonelli. Russell clung on to finish third ahead of Hamilton, The Associated Press reported.

There was tension at Mercedes as both Antonelli and Russell criticized the team's decisions over the radio.

Antonelli called his team's strategy “too risky” when the team congratulated him on second place, while Russell earlier seemed to object to being asked to give way to his teammate.

“Is he fighting for the win? Or is he planning to catch Norris?” Russell questioned, at a point where Norris was far ahead of both.

Russell relented after the race and said he felt Mercedes had made the right decision to avoid the two battling for position as Hamilton closed in behind.

Antonelli “would have overtaken anyway so it was the right decision,” Russell said. "It’s been a strong weekend overall so I’ll take the positives.”

There was a half-hour delay after Verstappen slammed into the wall on a damp first lap, stopping the race and ensuring a nightmare end to his last home race in the Netherlands for the foreseeable future.

The Dutch Grand Prix is dropping off the schedule after this season and the many orange-clad Dutch fans who turned up to support Verstappen instead saw Norris and his orange McLaren take the win.

Charles Leclerc was fifth on another disappointing day for Ferrari ahead of its home race in Italy in two weeks’ time. Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri was sixth after running in the top three early on, and Liam Lawson salvaged seventh for Red Bull after being called in to replace the injured Isack Hadjar.

Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Audi, with Fernando Alonso ninth in the best result of an otherwise-disastrous 2026 for Aston Martin. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten.

Sports

Man City Set to Sign Morocco Midfielder Bouaddi from Lille

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Man City Set to Sign Morocco Midfielder Bouaddi from Lille

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Lille v Olympique de Marseille - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - December 5, 2025 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi applauds fans before the match after the announcement of his contract extension REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Manchester City are set to sign midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French side Lille, with British media reporting the Premier League club could pay up to 100 million euros ($116.80 million) for the 18-year-old.

The Athletic reported City will pay an initial fee of 95 million plus up to five million in add-ons for the Morocco international.

Bouaddi would become one of City's most expensive signings, following the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a reported 116 million pounds ($158.18 million) deal earlier this summer, Reuters reported.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Bouaddi made 30 Ligue 1 appearances as Lille finished third and secured qualification for the Champions League.

Bouaddi also made his senior debut for Morocco in May and was later included in the country's 26-man World Cup squad. He made his tournament debut against Brazil and started five of Morocco's six matches as they reached the quarter-finals.