Fulham have appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager on a three-year contract, replacing Marco Silva after he unexpectedly agreed to join Benfica. The 43-year-old former Real Madrid boss takes over at Craven Cottage following a troubled stint at the Bernabeu, where he served as interim manager for the final 28 games of last season after Xabi Alonso's departure. He led the Spanish giants to second in La Liga and a Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa, who played for Liverpool and West Ham in the Premier League, said: "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 chairman Mr Shahid Khan and vice-chairman Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League."
“Fulham appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as manager on three-year deal after Marco Silva left for Benfica.”
The appointment came together swiftly after Silva, who had indicated he wanted to stay, changed his mind and moved to Benfica to replace Jose Mourinho – the same Mourinho who left Benfica to become Real Madrid's new manager and who, along with Real president Florentino Perez, provided excellent references for Arbeloa.
Chairman 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."
Fulham had been linked with former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank and ex-Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, but the latter was deemed too expensive – Ipswich wanted £8m compensation before factoring in salary and staff costs. Instead, the club turned to Arbeloa, who is already keen to bring attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran Garcia and forward Gonzalo Garcia to west London.
The new manager inherits a side that flourished under Silva's five-year tenure, but after a surprise exit that caught the board off guard, the Khans have bet on a relative novice with elite-level contacts and a clear philosophy. Whether Arbeloa can translate his Real Madrid education into Premier League success – and whether the three-year deal gives him the security to rebuild – will be the defining questions of Fulham's season.