Overview
- Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in Jeddah to retain the Spanish Super Cup, with Raphinha scoring twice including a deflected 73rd‑minute winner.
- Real Madrid announced Alonso’s departure less than eight months after his appointment and immediately named Álvaro Arbeloa as first‑team coach.
- Club statements framed the decision as a mutual agreement, with Alonso thanked for his work and Arbeloa stepping up from the reserve side, Castilla.
- Multiple outlets reported dressing‑room friction during Alonso’s tenure, including reported clashes with senior players such as Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde.
- Kylian Mbappé came on in the 76th minute and Frenkie de Jong was sent off late, and Barcelona now lead LaLiga by four points; Arbeloa’s first match is at Albacete in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.