The moment Marco Silva changed his mind, Fulham's board scrambled. After five successful years at Craven Cottage, the Portuguese had "indicated he wanted to stay" — then he left for Benfica, triggering a swift search that ended with an unexpected appointment: Alvaro Arbeloa.
The 43-year-old former Real Madrid boss has signed a three-year contract at Fulham, succeeding Silva after he agreed to join Benfica as Jose Mourinho's replacement. Mourinho had left Benfica to return to Real Madrid, replacing Arbeloa at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“Fulham appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as manager on a three-year contract after Marco Silva left for Benfica.”
"It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London," Arbeloa said. "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."
Chairman Shahid Khan backed the appointment, saying: "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's candidacy was supported by excellent references from recently re-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who he played for at the Bernabeu. The former full-back, who also played for Liverpool and West Ham in the Premier League, took over as Real Madrid interim manager in January after Xabi Alonso's departure. He led the club for 28 games, finishing second in La Liga and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Bayern Munich.
Fulham's vice-chairman revealed that Silva had surprised the board by leaving despite contract offers. Other candidates were considered: ex-Tottenham and Brentford boss Thomas Frank was linked, while former Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was deemed too expensive at £8m before factoring in salary and staff costs.
Arbeloa is keen to bring players from his former club, including attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran Garcia and forward Gonzalo Garcia. The former Real Madrid boss faces the challenge of replacing Silva, who had built a competitive side over five years — but with a three-year deal, he now has the chance to put his own stamp on the oldest club in London.