Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed his departure at the end of the season

Arbeloa’s announcement will not come as a surprise to Real Madrid fans. With Jose Mourinho emerging as the front-runner to succeed the Spaniard, Saturday’s home game against Athletic Club is set to be Arbeloa’s final match after just five months in charge.

Real fans may reflect on Arbeloa’s tenure with dismay. Results fell short of the club’s relentless standards, with two consecutive trophyless seasons and La Liga wins by 14-points to rivals Barcelona.

Arbeloa’s deep ties to Madrid and his passion for the badge have never been questioned, and some would say stepping into the position midway through the season was an impossible task. However, inconsistency of results, lack of silverware, dressing-room tensions and the pressure of competing at a club where immediate success is demanded meant his time on the bench was always likely to be cut short.

The next question now is when Arbeloa’s successor will be officially announced, and that process may take longer than expected. Last week, club president Florentino Perez confirmed that presidential elections would take place and that he would stand for re-election.

However, the situation has become more complicated after Spanish media reports that businessman Enrique Riquelme took the first steps towards formally challenging Perez for the presidency. If his candidacy is validated, Real Madrid will face its first contested presidential election in nearly two decades.

Riquelme must meet certain requirements to challenge Perez and make his candidacy official by Saturday, the last game of their season. A confirmed election process would likely put Perez’s plans to bring Mourinho back on hold until a vote date is set.