According to reports, Real Madrid have not ruled out parting ways with new boss Alvaro Arbeloa after he lost his first match in charge.

Earlier this week, the former Liverpool defender stepped up from his role as Real MadridCastilla manager to replace Xabi Alonso, who was sacked after only around half a year in the dugout.

Alonso inherited a mess after Real Madrid endured a disappointing trophyless season under Carlo Ancelotti last term, and the former Bayer Leverkusen boss struggled to assert his control as he reportedly had several clashes with key players.

Results and performances were also far from good enough under Alonso, who exited Real Madrid following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Cup, while they also trail the Spanish giants in La Liga.

Before Real Madrid appointed Arbeloa, they had been heavily linked with several high-profile replacements, including Jurgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane.

Therefore, Arbeloa is a somewhat underwhelming appointment, and it remains to be seen whether he will be a long-term solution.

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And Arbeloa has been hampered by Thursday’s shock exit from the Copa del Rey at the round of 16, with Real Madrid suffering a late 3-2 loss against Albacete, who are currently 17th in the second division.

Arbeloa was punished for selecting a youthful team, but he insisted post-match that he is not “afraid of failure”.

“At this club, a draw is a tragedy, imagine a defeat,” Arbeloa said.

“I imagine that all our fans are disappointed, especially with a lower-ranked team. From here on, we must improve. I am responsible.

“I’m not afraid of failure. Anyone who wants to talk about failure, let them do so. For me, it’s the path to success.

“I’ve failed many times in my life, even worse than this, and tomorrow we’ll return to Valdebebas [the training ground] with more enthusiasm.”

Still, Arbeloa could end up failing at Real Madrid as an insider on X has revealed Real Madrid’s current stance on sacking him.

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They said on X: ‘Exclusive: Real Madrid’s board are not afraid to sack álvaro Arbeloa early if they feel they made a mistake in appointing him.’

And a report in Spain claims Kylian Mbappe is ‘pulling the strings to ensure that Arbeloa doesn’t stay’ as he has ‘demanded Zidane’s return’.

However, Zidane is said to be intent on becoming the France manager after the World Cup, so he may only be with Real Madrid until the summer.

The report explains: ‘Mbappe knows that Zidane will soon take over as manager of the French national team, given his agreement with the federation to replace Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. But Mbappé isn’t willing to wait that long and intends to seize the opportunity presented by his time at Real Madrid to play alongside one of his childhood idols

‘Zidane hasn’t ruled out a third stint at Real Madrid and would accept the job replacing Arbeloa. However, he would only sign a contract until June 30th, so he can take over as France’s national team coach shortly thereafter.’