Fulham appoint Arbeloa as Silva’s successor

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Premier League club, Fulham, have appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as their new manager on a three-year contract following the departure of Marco Silva to S.L. Benfica.

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PUNCH Online reports that Arbeloa takes charge after Silva ended his five-year spell at Craven Cottage to replace José Mourinho at Benfica.

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In an interview with the club website after his appointment on Tuesday, Arbeloa expressed his delight at joining the Premier League side.

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“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 Mr. Shahid Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.”

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Fulham chairman, Shahid Khan, said the club was impressed by the Spaniard’s ambition and commitment to youth development.

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“Alvaro 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.

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“Alvaro also has a great interest in our academy set-up and believes in giving young players a chance. I loved hearing that from Alvaro, as well as his intent on playing attacking football.”

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Arbeloa’s appointment was reportedly backed by positive references from recently re-elected Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid’s new manager, Mourinho, under whom he previously played at the Santiago Bernabéu.

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The former Spain international took charge of Real Madrid CF on an interim basis following the departure of Xabi Alonso in January and guided the club through the final 28 matches of the season. Madrid finished second in La Liga and were eliminated in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by FC Bayern Munich.

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According to reports, Arbeloa is keen to strengthen Fulham’s squad with several players from Real Madrid, including attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran García and forward Gonzalo García.

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