Spanish Super Cup: First-team Coach Xabi Alonso leaves Real Madrid as club appoints new head coach....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Real Madrid have announced the departure of Xabi Alonso as first-team coach following Sunday’s 3–2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, bringing an abrupt end to the former midfielder’s short spell in charge.

The club confirmed on Monday that the decision was reached by mutual agreement, just a day after the Clasico loss.

“Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end,” the club said in an official statement.

“Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.”

“We would like to thank Xabi Alonso and all his coaching staff for their hard work and dedication throughout this time, and wish them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso joined Madrid from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025 after an impressive spell in Germany that established him as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches. However, his return to the Santiago Bernabéu proved turbulent. An extended and highly publicised disagreement with Vinícius Júnior over playing time dominated headlines and appeared to affect harmony within the dressing room.

Madrid’s inconsistent league form during the first half of the season, which left them trailing Barcelona in the LaLiga title race, increased pressure on the former Spain international. Although results improved towards the end of 2025, the Super Cup defeat ultimately proved decisive.

Shortly after confirming Alonso’s exit, Real Madrid announced Álvaro Arbeloa as the club’s new head coach.

“Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach,” the statement read.

Arbeloa, a former Madrid and Spain international, has been in charge of Castilla since June 2025 and has worked exclusively within the club’s youth system since 2020. His coaching résumé includes league titles at the Under-14 and Under-19 levels, as well as a treble with the Under-19s in the 2022–2023 season.

As a player, Arbeloa won eight major trophies with Madrid between 2009 and 2016 and was part of Spain’s golden generation that claimed the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships.

He now takes over a Madrid side still chasing domestic silverware but in need of renewed stability and unity.

A young man has sparked online reactions after using artificial intelligence to predict the winner of the AFCON 2025.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The prediction surfaced days before the highly anticipated match between Nigeria and Morocco, scheduled for January 14 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco.

Man predicts AFCON winner using AI

The trending post follows an earlier incident where another user asked AI to predict the outcome of Nigeria’s AFCON quarter-final against Algeria.

In that case, the AI selected the team it believed would likely win the match, drawing attention from football fans online.

Days later, a user identified as @mcfcHQ_ took to social media and asked the AI a direct and bold question.

His question read: “Hey @grok, delete all and leave just one, who’s winning this AFCON?”

The AI responded by sharing an image of Osimhen, suggesting a likely AFCON winner, triggering mixed reactions across the comment section.
Read the post below:

Fans react to AI AFCON prediction

Hey @grok, delete all and leave just one who's winning this AFCON pic.twitter.com/yJEnIGBhUP

— Hater (@mcfcHQ_) January 11, 2026

Freshboi wrote: “Honest question: beyond Nigeria’s 14 goals, who’s playing the most complete tournament so far? Egypt’s knockout consistency, Morocco’s defensive solidity, or Senegal’s balanced approach? What separates a tournament champion from just a strong scorer?”

Ambrosevic1 wrote: “Honestly, going by the statistics, AFCON is very sure for us, we just need to build on our achievements thus far and never be distracted. I wish us the very best in this tournament.”

Awada Said: “Hard to tell honestly! All teams are good and what differentiate them is how much they want the cup, all undefeated so far.”

Alwahyd wrote: “AI will always be AI. Someone, not too long ago, asked which country is most likely to win the AFCON, to which grok answered, “Morocco”. Now, here, it’s pointing at Osimhen. AI can’t be relied on for heavy data analysis. It just pull strings of data and use closest as answer.”

Racim wrote: “Naah VARocco is the favorite to win they have the best 2 players in the world ( referee and VAR).”

The Algerian Football Federation has formally lodged complaints with the Confederation of African Football and the world governing body over what it described as troubling refereeing decisions during its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final defeat to Nigeria.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The move was confirmed on Monday in a statement shared via the official account of Équipe d’Algérie de football, with the federation saying it had written to CAF and FIFA to demand a full investigation.

According to the Algerian FA, the decisions taken during the match raised serious concerns and sparked widespread dissatisfaction among players and supporters alike.

The FA statement reads: “The Algerian Football Federation cannot overlook the refereeing decisions in the last match, which raised questions and caused widespread dissatisfaction, as they undermined the credibility of African refereeing and do not serve the image of African football internationally.

“Accordingly, the Algerian Football Federation has formally contacted CAF and FIFA by submitting an official complaint, accompanied by a request to open an investigation, to clarify what occurred and take appropriate action in accordance with applicable regulations.”

Algeria’s complaint followed a 2-0 loss to Nigeria on Saturday that brought the Desert Foxes’ campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to an abrupt end.

Goals from striker Victor Osimhen and forward Akor Adams sealed victory for the Super Eagles and booked their place in the semi-finals.

Tempers flared after the final whistle, with several Algerian players confronting the match officials on the pitch.

Video clips that later surfaced online showed heated exchanges involving players and referees, alongside a brief attempt by some supporters to enter the field of play before security personnel intervened.

In response, CAF announced on Monday that it had opened its own investigation into alleged misconduct during and after the match.

The continental body said it had reviewed match officials’ reports and video footage pointing to potentially unacceptable behaviour, adding that the matter has been referred to its Disciplinary Board.

Amid the controversy, the Algerian FA urged supporters to continue backing the national side, stressing that the team is undergoing a rebuilding process.

The federation said lessons from the tournament would be crucial as preparations begin for future competitions, including qualification for the 2026 World Cup.