Xabi Alonso Wasn't Destined to Succeed at Real Madrid

MADRID, MONDAY - The brief collaboration between coach Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid proves one thing. Madrid, with its squad of superstar players, is indeed not suited to be led by a coach who demands collectivism, complex systems, and high discipline like Alonso. Madrid has made a mistake since the recruitment phase.

Madrid announced that Alonso has officially left the club by mutual agreement on Monday (12/1/2026). The news of the departure was announced just a day after Madrid was defeated by their eternal rivals Barcelona 2-3 in the Supercopa de España final.

Alonso was only able to stay in Madrid for eight months. "Xabi will always have the love and admiration of all fans because he is a Madrid legend and always represents the values of this club. Madrid will always be his home," the club stated in an official announcement.

Alonso's role will be temporarily replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, the coach of Madrid's reserve team or Castilla. Arbeloa, a former player of "El Real," has only been in charge of Castilla for about six months. Nevertheless, he has been involved in the club's youth development since 2020. His name is respected by the club's executives.

Alonso's departure came as quite a surprise. Although the club stated it was a mutual decision, according to Marca, the coach never intended to leave his position. The club contacted him first and then offered him the option to leave. The club's primary considerations were the club's poor results and the lack of harmony in the dressing room.

It is evident that the coach from Spain still sounds optimistic after losing to Barca. "We must forget this result quickly. It is the least important competition among all the competitions we participate in. We need to look ahead, work on recovering the injured players, restore the team's morale, and move forward," he stated.

However, the top officials in Madrid seem to view the result as a signal for change. After half a season under Alonso, the performance of Kylian Mbappe and his teammates has been relatively stagnant. They are four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and currently occupy the seventh position in the Champions League group stage.

A more crucial issue is the changing room situation. After the final yesterday, Alonso requested the players to remain on the field to pay tribute to the champion team. However, Mbappe instructed the opposite to his teammates. The other players were more inclined to follow Mbappe's words.

According to The Athletic, tensions had previously arisen between Alonso and several of Madrid's key players. They, including Vinicius Junior, were unhappy with the crucial changes in team management under Alonso's leadership. This ultimately led to Vinicius' reluctance to discuss a contract extension.

Alonso arrived in Madrid with the status of one of the most successful young coaches in Europe. The 44-year-old demonstrated his tactical expertise during three seasons at the German club Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso is very meticulous when it comes to tactics. He wants his team to attack and defend as a unit, creating an automatic system that can be filled by anyone.

The system is as different as night and day compared to the previous Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti. Under Ancelotti, the players of "El Real" were given more freedom to move. The names of superstar players, such as Vinicius, shone because they were provided with ample room for improvisation and were not burdened with many defensive duties.

The clash between Alonso's management system and the egos of superstar players had actually been sensed since the Club World Cup last year. The coach had previously criticized the discipline issues of his players in defense. "We must defend with 11 players. Vini, (Jude) Bellingham, Mbappe, must help to press," said Alonso.

Alonso's shock therapy initially worked. Madrid won 10 out of their first 11 domestic league matches, including against Barca. They were solidly at the top of the standings until issues in the locker room arose as several key figures began to feel uncomfortable with the changes.

As a result, Madrid gradually lost their rhythm. They were overshadowed by a poor trend throughout November to December, winning only three times out of nine matches across all competitions. Madrid also lost their top position in the league as Barcelona began to find consistency.

Mbappe immediately posted a farewell message for Alonso just a few hours after the club's announcement. "It was indeed brief, but it was an honor to play under your guidance and learn from you. Thank you for giving me confidence since day one," he wrote on Instagram.

In the last two decades, there have been two coaches who have been the most successful in managing Madrid. They are Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. Interestingly, neither of them has a complex system and instead grants freedom of expression to each player. This formula does not seem to be merely coincidental. (AP/REUTERS)