Fulham have appointed former Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa as their new manager on a three-year contract, following the departure of Marco Silva.
Arbeloa takes over at Craven Cottage after Silva left the Premier League club to join Benfica upon the expiration of his contract.
The Spaniard departed Real Madrid in May, with José Mourinho succeeding him at the Santiago Bernabéu last month.
Reacting to his appointment, Arbeloa described the opportunity as a privilege and expressed his commitment to leading the London club.
“It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London,” he said.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to chairman Shahid Khan and vice-chairman Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.”
Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said the club was impressed by Arbeloa’s ambition, experience and commitment to youth development.
“Álvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham,” Khan said.
“Álvaro also has great interest in our academy set-up and believes in giving young players a chance. I loved hearing that from Álvaro, as well as his intent on playing attacking football.”
Before taking charge of Real Madrid’s senior side, Arbeloa worked as a youth coach at the club. He was promoted to interim manager following Xabi Alonso’s departure in January and remained in charge for the final 28 matches of the season.
During his spell, Real Madrid finished second in La Liga and were eliminated in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich.
Reports indicate that Arbeloa is already planning to strengthen Fulham’s squad, with Real Madrid youngster Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran García and forward Gonzalo García among the players he is reportedly interested in bringing to Craven Cottage.