aAfter Xabi Alonso was sacked as Real Madrid manager, Alvaro Arbeloa took over as manager. A former player and legend, Arbeloa enjoyed a long and successful spell at the Madrid club, where he happened to meet Mexican striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, a player with whom he did not have a good relationship.
There was even talk at the time that the two had gotten into a fight when they were both playing for the Spanish giants 10 years ago.
Vinicius went straight to the locker room after Real Madrid’s win at the Bernabéu
What happened between Alvaro Arbeloa and Chicharito Hernandez?
During the 2015-2016 season when the Mexican striker played in La Liga, there was a lot of friction on the pitch between Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and young Dani Carvajal after the heavy defeat against Atletico Madrid. But it was on the bench that there was the most intense friction.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti called for Javier Hernández to come onto the pitch just before the end, to which Arbeloa responded in a curious tone, “Do we need Chicharito?” I have doubts about Coach Merengue’s decision. The conflict led to a locker room breakdown and rumors that Javier Hernández and Arbeloa were on bad terms, but these rumors were never confirmed.
Javier Chicharito Hernández has completed his loan spell with the Merengues and moved to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, leaving behind rumors of rivalry with the current Real Madrid manager.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s career
Arbeloa spent eight seasons in Real Madrid’s first team, spread over two spells. With the Merengue team, Arbeloa won two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, one La Liga title, two Copa del Reys and one Spanish Super Cup, establishing himself as one of the best full-backs in the club’s history.
Arbeloa also played for Deportivo La Coruña, Liverpool and West Ham, the club from which he retired in 2017. After retiring from professional soccer, he began training as a coach. He has won four youth titles with Real Madrid, but this is his first opportunity to be a manager in the first division.
Where will Javier Hernandez play in 2026?
Javier Hernandez is currently not in the team as Chivas decided not to renew his contract. Some MLS teams have approached him with the possibility of signing him ahead of the start of the 2026 season, but with no formal approaches confirmed at this time, Javier Hernandez could choose to retire at the age of 37.
