Kigali, Rwanda – This week saw dramatic coaching changes at two of Europe’s biggest football clubs. Manchester United welcomed back club legend Michael Carrick as interim manager, while Real Madrid parted ways with Xabi Alonso after a painful defeat to bitter rivals Barcelona.
Manchester United appointed former midfielder Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the 2025/26 season, following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim on January 5.
The 44-year-slated to take charge of United’s high-profile Premier League clash against Manchester City on Saturday, January 17, 2025.
United’s board is pushing to finalize and announce the appointment before players return to training on Wednesday.
This follows a turbulent period that saw former United midfielder Darren Fletcher oversee two matches, drawing against Burnley before being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton.
Carrick is familiar with the Old Trafford dugout, having previously served as interim manager in 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal.
During his three-match stint, he recorded two wins and one draw before Ralf Rangnick took over. As a player, Carrick made 464 appearances for Manchester United between 2006 and 2018, after joining from Tottenham Hotspur under Sir Alex Ferguson.
He has been without a club since leaving Middlesbrough in June, where he spent two and a half years and guided the team to the Championship play-offs in the 2022/23 season, losing to Coventry City in the semi-finals.
Bu after failing to secure a top-six finish in two consecutive seasons, he was dismissed. And while United turn to a familiar face for stability, Real Madrid have opted for a dramatic reset.
The Spanish giants announced this week that they had mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Xabi Alonso following their 3–2 defeat to FC Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
Alonso, appointed on June 1, 2025, had a contract running until 2028, but leaves after just seven months in charge.
Real Madrid’s leadership was reportedly unhappy with the team’s performances, with the club currently sitting seventh in the UEFA Champions league phase and second in La Liga.
In an official statement, the club praised Alonso’s legacy, saying he would “always be an important figure” at Real Madrid and thanking him and his coaching staff for their work.
However, sources close to the club suggest Alonso struggled to maintain strong relationships with key players, including star forward Vinícius Júnior, which contributed to the breakdown between him and the dressing room.
Álvaro Arbeloa, who had been managing Real Madrid’s reserve team, has been appointed as the new head coach of the first team.
Alonso joined Real Madrid from Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup in three seasons.
He is also a former Real Madrid player, having made 236 appearances between 2009 and 2014, winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, and a Spanish Super Cup.
