Xabi Alonso losing authority – how do you bring the stars back down to earth?
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 12.11.25. | 21:59
Rebellion at Real Madrid – more and more players are resisting the Spanish coach, Florentino Perez’s alarm has been triggered
Reports from Spain suggest that tensions between Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso and several of his players are beginning to simmer, with as many as five first-team stars said to be dissatisfied with their new manager.
Despite Madrid’s strong start to the season — sitting atop LaLiga and having triumphed in the first El Clasico of the campaign — rumors of unrest behind the scenes have cast a shadow over Alonso’s early tenure at the Bernabeu.
🗣️ “Many bad habits”
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 29, 2025
🗣️ “He thinks he’s Guardiola”
🗣️ “More discipline and order”
Players who previously felt “untouchable” are unhappy with Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid.
Victory over Barcelona was vital for his rebuild — but there is a rift.
📝 @MarioCortegana
🔗… pic.twitter.com/OnJFeN5prY
The former Bayer Leverkusen coach returned to his old club this summer, hoping to continue the winning legacy he once contributed to as a player. Yet, unlike predecessors Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, Alonso has reportedly struggled to connect with his dressing room.
According to Mundo Deportivo, several big names — including Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Junior, and England’s golden boy Jude Bellingham — have clashed with the manager over his tactical approach, particularly his insistence on playing out from the back.
Vinicius, in particular, has been seen showing visible irritation toward Alonso throughout the season, most notably when he was subbed off during the clash with Barcelona. While he later issued an apology to his “team-mates, the club, and its president,” the winger made no mention of his coach in that statement.
Alongside the trio, midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde are also believed to be discontented, having struggled to secure consistent starting roles. Both have been deployed out of position at times — with Valverde even filling in at right-back in the absence of injured captain Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Xabi Alonso has displayed solutions to so many issues we had.
— Ken (@K3N3_X) November 2, 2025
- Mbappe x Vini co-existence.
- Bellingham midfield role while box crashing.
- Guler being flexible playing deep and attacking as well.
- Valverde being in midfield even while playing RB.
Coaches football like chess. pic.twitter.com/NSkobWScgX
🚨 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: Real Madrid CEO José Ángel Sánchez was the one who brought in Xabi Alonso to add some discipline to the team.
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) November 12, 2025
Florentino Pérez and chief scout Juni Calafat both did not think about that option.
Some top voices at the club are already looking at the coaches… pic.twitter.com/Ds0Po7E1CB
Tensions aren’t confined to matchdays either. As reported by Daily Mail Sport, Alonso has reportedly been frustrated by what he perceives as “bad habits” within the squad during training sessions. Yet, many of his players are said to prefer the freer, more player-friendly management styles of Zidane and Ancelotti — approaches that, notably, delivered multiple Champions League trophies.
