Kylian Mbappe's 'Disgraceful' Act Right Before Real Madrid Sacked Manager Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid pulled the trigger after a string of poor performances and replaced manager Xabi Alonso with B team manager Alvaro Arbeloa on Monday. The decision comes after Los Blancos were beaten by arch-rivals Barcelona 3-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. Alonso was immediately replaced by Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid defender who played with Alonso both at Madrid, Liverpool and Spain and they also won the World Cup together in 2010. As fans and the football world look at the Spanish giants' decision to sack Alonso, a video has surfaced on social media, showing Kylian Mbappe overruling the former Bayer Leverkusen coach's decision to give Barcelona a 'Guard of Honour' after their Super Cup win. 

Barcelona claimed their first trophy of 2025-26 season with a thrilling 3-2 El Clasico win in Jeddah, however, the fallout after the game unexpectedly overshadowed the result.

Alonso seemingly suggested giving Barca a 'Guard of Honour' after the win but Mbappe refused, while also asking his teammates to head back to the dressing room after collecting their runner-up medals. It turned out to be Alonso's final moment on the pitch as Real Madrid's manager before he was sacked.

The video saw fans condemn Mbappe's 'disgraceful' act, with some even suggesting that he didn't give Alonso the respect he deserved by refusing to fulfill his wish to give Barca a 'Guard of Honour'. 

Xabi's last moments as Real Madrid's manager

@Black_Code77 pic.twitter.com/q5rodahiYW

— 433 (@433) January 12, 2026

Mbappe was the first player to bid farewell to Alonso on Monday. Mbappe praised and thanked Alonso in an Instagram story that accompanied a photo of him and the coach saluting each other.

"It's been short but it was a pleasure to play for you & learn from you," the France star wrote. "Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day 1. I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter."

Xabi Alonso Fails To Deliver

Alonso arrived last May under high expectations as Carlo Ancelotti's replacement and pressure built as the team struggled to play well under his command. He had spats with players such as Vinicius Junior and widespread media reports said he lost control of the locker room.

Vinicius, and others, complained more than once of being substituted by the coach during matches. Some players publicly supported the coach late last year but the situation didn't appear to improve much.

Other Madrid players also posted messages thanking Alonso and wishing him luck. Vinicius was not among those publicly bidding farewell to the coach. Alonso did not immediately make any public comments.

He was at Madrid's helm in 34 matches across all competitions, winning 24, losing six and drawing four.

With AP Inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Real Madrid Barcelona Xabi Alonso Kylian Mbappe Football