The Revolving Door: Florentino's 15 Managers at Real Madrid
As Xabi Alonso's brief tenure ends and Arbeloa steps in, we look at the parade of managers who've sat in the Bernabéu hot seat under Florentino Pérez.
Florentino Pérez has appointed his 15th manager at Real Madrid, with Álvaro Arbeloa stepping into the dugout following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal. The managerial merry-go-round at the Bernabéu continues to spin at breakneck speed.
Xabi’s reign lasted just seven months and 17 days after being announced on May 26th last year. During his brief tenure, he managed 34 matches with 24 wins, 4 draws and 6 defeats - the final blow coming in the Spanish Supercup final against Barcelona. Short? Yes. But not the shortest under Florentino’s watch.
Florentino’s First Reign (2000-2006)
When Pérez first took the reins at Madrid, he inherited Vicente del Bosque, keeping him for three seasons during which the club won six trophies. Despite this success, Del Bosque wasn’t renewed after the 2002-03 season, with the club claiming they needed to “modernize” their approach.
What followed was a proper dog’s dinner of appointments:
- Carlos Queiroz: Ferguson’s former assistant lasted just one season
- José Antonio Camacho: Resigned after only four months in September 2004
- Mariano García Remón: A brief caretaker stint until the end of 2004
- Wanderlei Luxemburgo: Arrived January 2005, lasted 11 months
- Juan Ramón López Caro: Promoted from Castilla, became the final manager of Florentino’s first spell
The Second Coming (2009-Present)
When Pérez returned in 2009, the managerial carousel continued:
- Manuel Pellegrini: One season and he was brown bread (2009-10)
- José Mourinho: The Special One lasted three seasons, winning three trophies
- Carlo Ancelotti: The first two-time manager under Florentino, winning four trophies in his first spell (2013-15) and a whopping eleven in his second (2021-25)
- Rafa Benítez: Like Xabi, lasted just seven months before getting the boot in January 2016
- Zinedine Zidane: His first stint (2016-19) brought nine trophies
The 2018-19 season was particularly chaotic, featuring three different gaffers:
- Julen Lopetegui: Sacked in October 2018
- Santiago Solari: Brief caretaker spell
- Zinedine Zidane: Returned in March 2019 for another two years and three months, adding two more trophies
Ancelotti followed Zidane’s second departure, then came Xabi’s brief tenure, and now Arbeloa takes the hot seat as number 15 in the Florentino era.