After the dismissal of Xabi Alonso as head coach of Real Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa took over the reins. Arbeloa, a former player and legend, had a long and successful spell at the Madrid club where he coincided with Mexican striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, a player with whom he would not have a good relationship.
It was even mentioned at the time that the two were involved in a fight 10 years ago, when they were both playing for the Spanish giants.
What happened between Alvaro Arbeloa and Chicharito Hernandez?
During the season in which the Mexican striker played in LaLiga, in 2015-2016, after a thrashing by Atletico Madrid, there was a lot of friction on the pitch between Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and a young Dani Carvajal. However, the most intense friction was on the bench.
Carlo Ancelotti called Javier Hernandez to enter the field in the final minutes, to which Arbeloa responded in an inquisitive tone “Is it necessary ‘Chicharito’?” questioning the decision of the Merengue coach. From this friction, rumors spread that the dressing room was broken and that Javier Hernandez and Arbeloa were at odds, however, these rumors were never confirmed.
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez ended his loan spell with the Merengues to move to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, leaving behind rumors of his enmity with the now head coach of Real Madrid.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s career
Arbeloa was part of the Real Madrid first team for eight seasons, in two periods. With the Merengue team, Arbeloa won two Champions League, a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, a La Liga championship, two Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup, establishing himself as one of the best full-backs in the club’s history.
Arbeloa also played for Deportivo La Coruna, Liverpool and West Ham, the club where he retired in 2017. After retiring from professional soccer, he began his training as a coach. With Real Madrid’s youth academy, he has won four youth titles, but this is his first opportunity as a coach in the first division.
Where will Javier Hernandez play in 2026?
Javier Hernandez is currently without a team after Chivas decided not to renew his contract. Although some MLS teams have sounded out the possibility of signing him ahead of the start of the 2026 season, there are no formal approaches confirmed at the moment, so Javier Hernandez could opt for retirement at 37 years of age.
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