Fulham appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as new head coach on three-year deal

Alvaro Arbeloa has officially taken over as Fulham's new head coach, signing a three-year contract at Craven Cottage. The former Real Madrid boss succeeds Marco Silva, who departed for Benfica after his contract with the west London club expired. Arbeloa left Real Madrid at the end of May and was replaced by Jose Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu last month. Prior to his return to Real Madrid as a player in 2009, Arbeloa made 98 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions. He played his final professional matches for West Ham during the 2016/17 season. After his appointment was confirmed, Arbeloa said: "It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham, the oldest club in London. I feel a great sense of responsibility and I'm deeply grateful to Mr [Shahid] Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League. I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans and beginning pre-season with the players next week. I am sure we are going to enjoy an incredible journey together. Come on Fulham!" Arbeloa first took charge of Real Madrid in January, stepping in after Xabi Alonso left Chelsea to take over at Stamford Bridge. Now he returns to English football, tasked with building on Fulham's Premier League campaign. The summer fixtures list Fulham's early schedule: Monday 24 August against Chelsea at home (live on media), Sunday 30 August at Sunderland (live on media), then Crystal Palace at home on 5 September, Liverpool away on 12 September, and Manchester United at home on 20 September (live on media).