Super Eagles stars Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will work under a new manager next season after Fulham appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as the club’s new head coach following Marco Silva’s departure.
Fulham confirmed the appointment of the 43-year-old Spaniard on a three-year contract after Silva left Craven Cottage to become Benfica manager.
Speaking after his appointment, Arbeloa expressed his excitement about taking charge of the Premier League 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] Mr [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 welcomed the appointment and praised Arbeloa’s ambition, football philosophy and commitment to developing young players.
“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.
“Alvaro also has 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.”
Arbeloa arrived at Craven Cottage with strong backing from within Spanish football. His candidacy received glowing recommendations from recently re-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and the club’s new manager Jose Mourinho, who previously worked alongside him at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The former Real Madrid full-back stepped into management after serving as a youth coach before taking charge of the senior team on an interim basis following Xabi Alonso’s departure in January.
He guided Real Madrid through the final 28 matches of last season, helping the club finish second in La Liga before their Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa is already planning for the new season and hopes to strengthen Fulham’s squad by bringing in several players, including attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, full-back Fran Garcia and forward Gonzalo Garcia.
His appointment follows the unexpected departure of Marco Silva, who chose to join Benfica despite receiving contract offers to remain at Fulham.
Last month, Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan revealed Silva had initially indicated he intended to stay before changing his mind and leaving the club after five successful years in charge.
Fulham also considered other candidates during their search. Former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford manager Thomas Frank was linked with the role, while former Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was ruled out after the overall cost of appointing him, including compensation, salary and staff expenses, was considered too high.
For Nigeria internationals Iwobi and Bassey, the arrival of Arbeloa offers a fresh opportunity ahead of the new Premier League season.
Iwobi started all 29 of his Premier League appearances last season, while Bassey was named in the starting lineup in 28 of his 30 league outings. Both Super Eagles stars will now be aiming to impress their new manager as Fulham begin a new chapter under Arbeloa.
