Careers intertwined - Alonso and Arbeloa in rival dugouts

[Getty Images] New Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa is best known in England for his impressive two-year spell at Liverpool as a player before returning to Real Madrid for a seven-year stint and ending his career with a season at West Ham . He earned 56 caps for Spain and was part of arguably the greatest team in their history, which won two European Championships and the World Cup in consecutive tournaments between 2008 and 2012. Chelsea 's new manager Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa played together for seven consecutive years at club level and even longer with the national team - and now they will face each other in rival dugouts in their Premier League opener at Craven Cottage on Monday, 24 August. Jose Mourinho signed the pair from Liverpool in the same summer both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka joined Real to help them compete with a dominant Barcelona side managed by Pep Guardiola. Such was the closeness of the two that they went on holiday and spent time together away from the pitch. One well-placed source in Spain said that one replacing the other at the Bernabeu in January was initially awkward. Alonso had struggled to convince dressing-room stars such as Kylian Mbappe to adapt to his modern style of management, involving high pressing and possession-based football, at Madrid. Arbeloa, who began his coaching career at under-14s level, was promoted to steady the ship after six months leading Castilla, Real Madrid's reserve team who play in the third tier of Spanish football. Madrid's season ended with a second-place finish in the domestic league and elimination from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. Fast forward a few weeks and Alonso and Arbeloa are set to be neighbouring managers in their first seasons in the Premier League, with just over a mile separating Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage. It feels as though their careers are intertwined.