Dressing Room Tensions Seal Xabi Alonso’s Fate at Real Madrid
Florentino Perez turns to Alvaro Arbeloa following Super Cup defeat and inconsistent form
Xabi Alonso’s reign as Real Madrid head coach has ended after less than eight months, with the Spanish giants confirming his departure on Monday.
Alonso arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu with high expectations. Club bosses believed his tactical intelligence would modernise Madrid’s play. However, despite brief flashes of promise, the team struggled to convince.
By the end of his tenure, Madrid looked much the same as last season, which ended without a major trophy. The final blow came on Sunday, when rivals Barcelona outplayed them in a 3-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Perez Pulls the Trigger
With Madrid four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and sitting seventh in the Champions League league phase, club president Florentino Perez opted for change. He replaced Alonso with reserve team coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Although Madrid won five matches in a row before the Super Cup final, pressure had been building for weeks. That Clasico loss in Saudi Arabia proved decisive.
High Hopes, Short Stay
Alonso joined Madrid fresh from a historic spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga unbeaten in 2024. He dreamed of emulating former greats Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.
Instead, his early exit places him alongside quickly dismissed coaches such as Rafa Benitez and Julen Lopetegui.
The former midfielder also wanted reinforcements in midfield following Luka Modric’s exit last summer and Toni Kroos’ departure a year earlier. However, the club did not deliver any new signings.
Dressing Room Challenges
Madrid showed early promise at the Club World Cup, despite a heavy 4-0 semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Still, tensions soon emerged.
Alonso’s heavy rotation frustrated senior players. Vinicius Junior, in particular, reacted angrily after being substituted in a 2-1 Clasico league win in October. From then on, the dynamic shifted.
Rather than assert authority, Alonso restored Vinicius to an untouchable role. That decision backfired, especially during a 16-match goal drought that only ended in Jeddah.
Jude Bellingham also became an automatic starter after shoulder surgery, despite inconsistent form. Meanwhile, young talents such as Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono saw their minutes reduced.
As stars returned, Alonso’s tactical ideas faded. High pressing disappeared, partly due to an injury crisis that limited his options.
Results Masked Deeper Problems
Although Kylian Mbappe continued scoring freely, Madrid often looked disjointed in attack. Too many big names, critics argued, disrupted the team’s balance.
A humiliating 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in September raised early concerns. Later, fixture congestion caused by an NFL event at the Bernabeu worsened their form.
Madrid lost away to Liverpool in the Champions League and were booed by home fans after a La Liga defeat to Celta Vigo in December.
Spanish media later reported that Alonso was handed an ultimatum ahead of a Champions League clash with Manchester City. Despite Pep Guardiola publicly backing him, Madrid still lost 2-1.
Although Alonso survived that defeat and briefly rallied player support, confidence from the board never fully returned.
Arbeloa Steps In
While Madrid picked up several wins afterwards, performances remained unconvincing. Barcelona’s latest Clasico victory ultimately gave Perez the justification he needed to act.
Alonso’s successor, Alvaro Arbeloa, is a former Madrid defender and a familiar figure at the club. He now faces the same pressure-filled environment, fully aware of how quickly fortunes can change at the Bernabeu.
