Former Liverpool players, Alvaro Arbeloa and Xavi Alonso, would clash in the dug-out during the 2026/27 Premier league’s opening London Derby clash between Fulham and Chelsea.
Arbeloa is expected to face-off with his fellow Spanish counterpart, Alonso, following his appointment as Fulham’s head coach to replace departed manager, Marco Silva, who left the wst London club to Benfica ahead of the commencement of the fast approaching season.
The match billed for May 1, at Craven Cottage, the Cottagers home ground, would witness the duo, who both won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and later becoming the head coach of the club, begin their managerial journey in the English division, with the appointment of Arbeloa, who played as a fill back in his career, as manager of the west London club on Wednesday.
In an interim stint, after the sacking of Alonso, the new appontee led the Galaticos from the dug-out in their last 28 games of last season, finishing second in La Liga and being knocked out in the Champions League quarter-final by Bayern Munich.
Prior to his first-team managerial spell at the Spanish Primera Liga side, Arbeloa coached the youth side but moved to the senior team in January after Alonso was sacked from the club, to further enhance the links of both tacticians in their ongoing managerial career.
Alonso, himself, has tasted success in his opening days of his managerial career, incredibly winning the German Bundesliga, and in an unbeaten spree, as well as two domestic cups and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League with Bayern Leverkusen before his appointment as Chelsea manager.
As a player, both individuals were part of the Spain team that won the first and only FIFA World Cup in their history in 2010, twice winning the European Cup in 2008 and 2012.
The story continues now and in the Premier League as they both face each other for the first time with special hugs expected from both, but however, hoping to get the first win at the expense of each other in the competition.