Xabi Alonso Sacking: The Behind-The-Scenes Drama That Prompted Real Madrid Action

Xabi Alonso, one of the greatest players to have played for Real Madrid, arrived at the Spanish giants with a lot of hype, thanks to his nearly unbeaten season with German side Bayer Leverkusen. Defeats against rivals, lack of control over the dressing room, instability in the squad, and conflicts with players are some of the top factors that led to Real Madrid and Alonso parting ways. The club's defeat against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup turned out to be the decisive point, prompting Real Madrid's bosses to take the hard call of parting ways with Alonso. But a lot went on behind the scenes before the decision was taken.

The primary catalyst of the break-up between Real Madrid and Alonso was the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia. While the club's official statement described the exit as a "mutual agreement," Spanish outlets like AS and Marca noted that the decision was essentially made by President Florentino Perez within 24 hours of the loss.

A symbolic moment of tension occurred during the post-match ceremony: Alonso reportedly urged his players to perform a "guard of honour" for Barcelona, but Kylian Mbappe and other senior players reportedly ignored the instruction and walked away, signalling a total breakdown in authority.

Other media reports, particularly from El Chiringuito and El Pais, highlighted that Alonso had "lost the dressing room" over the course of the season as multiple players were unhappy with the way he dealt with the squad.

The most cited incident was in October, when Vinicius was substituted and went directly down the tunnel. While he later apologised to the club, he pointedly did not apologise to Alonso.

Senior players, including Federico Valverde, were reportedly unhappy with Alonso's heavy rotation and his rigid tactical system, which they felt stifled the "instinctive" play typical of Real Madrid.

Reports also suggest that Alonso felt "undermined" by the board after they failed to sign his primary summer target, Martin Zubimendi, leaving a void in the midfield following the retirements of Kroos and Modric.

Xabi Alonso's Record At Real Madrid:

The former Spain midfielder managed 34 games, winning 24 but losing six (a high number by Madrid standards). After leading La Liga by five points in October, the team suffered a winter collapse, falling four points behind Barcelona and struggling in the Champions League with losses to Manchester City and Liverpool denting Alonso's reputation.

Heavy defeats such as the 4-0 defeat to PSG in the Club World Cup and a 5-2 thrashing by Atletico Madrid damaged his standing with the fans.

Real Madrid has moved immediately to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa (formerly the Castilla coach) as the replacement. Spanish media portrays Arbeloa as a "club man" who is expected to restore the "Real Madrid DNA" and manage the high-profile egos in the squad more effectively.

Topics mentioned in this article

Real Madrid Xabi Alonso Kylian Mbappe Football