Goodbye Alonso

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Rob Palmer, commentator ESPN

Friday, 16 January 2026, 10:34

When Xabi Alonso sanctioned the substitution of Vinícius Júnior in the 82nd minute of the Super Cup Final, it was as good as handing in his resignation.

His tenure was tense and short; he arrived with bright ideas, but departed looking like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The cracks in the team matched the new wrinkles on his brow.

His sacking was as predictable as his appointment. He was an obvious candidate as a former player who'd proven himself as a manager by winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. He'd served under some of the greatest managers and his stock was high.

The directive was to create a more dynamic team. The criticism of his predecessor was that the team was merely functional. What people didn't realise was the subtle genius of Carlo Ancelotti - the master manager of superstar egos.

Alonso arrived in time for the Club World Cup and immediately stamped his personality on the team. With the arrival of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold there was an injection of enthusiasm. He wanted to build on the talent of the young Turkish international Arda Güler and promote players from the academy.

He seemed to have the magic touch as he called up reserve striker Gonzalo García in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, who emerged from the shadows to finish as top scorer in the tournament.

Real Madrid came home early, but Alonso had an immediate impact; he'd shown the team could play high-energy football using a wider range of players.

Teenage talent Franco Mastantuono arrived and hit the ground running. He was a vital player in the sensational start to the season. The first seven games were won; it was impossible to argue with the methods of the new boss.

Some of the established names were sidelined: Brazilian Rodrygo rarely started; Fede Valverde was asked to play out-of-position - he wasn't happy and watched the game with Kairat in Kazakhstan from the bench.

There was fall out with Viní Jr which became public when he threw a tantrum following his substitution in the first Clásico of the season.

At that point, Alonso had the upper hand as they beat their age-old rivals. He'd won a battle, but the war was about to begin; the casualties began to pile up. Alonso had to reach out to the players he'd effectively demoted - they didn't fit into his energetic style and once again Real Madrid looked pedestrian.

Alonso was under scrutiny. Two players were sent off in the worst Real Madrid performance I've seen in years at home to Celta Vigo. There was an improvement in the next defeat to Manchester City, but the knives were being sharpened.

Five wins in a row kept him in a job but president Florentino Pérez wants to be popular - and the wisdom of his summer appointment was being questioned. The fans were not enthralled by the football; the players were divided.

Alonso's stay was over when he withdrew Vinícius for a second time. Cramp was the official explanation, but really it was the cramping of style that cost him his job.

Good luck to his interim successor Álvaro Arbeloa; he'll need to study the handbooks of Carlo Ancelotti, throw away the coaching manual, and start to work on massaging egos.