Xabi Alonso - Story of a downfall: At Real Madrid, it's either players' way or highway
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 14.01.26. | 12:57
Lack of authority, too many tactical demands, and spoiled players who respect no one are only some of the reasons that cost the 44-year-old tactician his job
For the umpteenth time, Real Madrid's locker room chewed up and spit out a manager, letting him down, as Xabi Alonso experienced the same fate as Fabio Capello or Jose Mourinho. Florentino Perez, as usual, watched everything from the sidelines, allowing Madrid's spoiled superstars, who acknowledge no one's authority, to take the 44-year-old strategist down, without taking him under his protection.
Even though Alonso was sacked two days ago, the situation in Los Blancos' squad has been heating up since November. The "pro-Xabi" and "contra-Xabi" clans occupied the locker room, while Vinicius Jr was reportedly identified as the leader of the latter one. According to Marca, the situation had slowly but surely reached a point where it could barely function normally on a daily basis.
🚨 BREAKING: Xabi Alonso YELLED at the PLAYERS in early November, saying: "I DIDN'T KNOW I CAME HERE TO COACH LITTLE CHILDREN!"
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) January 13, 2026
He said it because some players constantly showed low effort, sulked, and whispered between each other. @marca pic.twitter.com/Pp7E6wbyD6
Xabi was desperate. The players who didn't follow his tactical ideas and requests, lack of effort, frowning, bad atmosphere... It all cost the tactician his job.
On the other hand, the squad complained about the difficulty of training sessions and the complexity of Alonso's tactics. Simply, his studiousness, meticulousness, and perfectionism didn't suit the egos of Vini, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and others. They were used to having more freedom.
Madrid's players have rarely been warriors. Instead, they are highly paid and quite spoiled superstars who'll hardly put up with someone's requests and demands. And Alonso's example became just another in a long line that says: it's either the players' way or the highway.
Not to mention that the former midfielder had little time to implement his ideas, and even if he had had it, his self-centered crew would have hardly followed them.
The squad wasn't satisfied with Xabi, and he wasn't satisfied with them. To make matters worse, whispers about Alvaro Arbeloa (Alonso's successor and former teammate, who'll debut tonight (22.00) against Albacete in the Copa del Rey) started spreading through the locker room. The players allegedly liked the ex-defender better and didn't mind the idea of him taking Xabi's place.
The crisis deepened, and the results reflected it, while the defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final was the last straw.
After all, Mbappe's move and his call to his teammates to leave the pitch after the match, despite Alonso's instruction to stay and congratulate the rivals, speak volumes.
In the end, Marca quoted a sentence Xabi reportedly said during a training session back in November - when everything started falling apart - which perfectly sums up the situation at Real Madrid and their locker room.
"I didn't know I was coming to train at a kindergarten!" he said, and "dug his own grave".
SPAIN COPA DEL REY - ROUND OF 16
Tuesday
Cultural Leonesa - Athletic Bilbao 3-4 a.e.t. (3-3)
/Calero 16,27, Sobrino 41 pen - Guruzeta 26,38, Sancet 45+3 pen, Gomez 104 pen/
La Coruna - Atletico Madrid 0-1 (0-0)
/Griezmann 51/
Sociedad - Osasuna 4-3 on pen (2-2)
/Turrientes 75, Zubeldia 90+2 - Moncayola 4, Oyarzabal 17 og/
Wednesday
23.00: (2.55) Alaves (3.05) Rayo Vallecano (3.00)
23.00: (12.0) Albacete (6.50) Real Madrid (1.22)
23.00: (1.65) Betis (3.70) Elche (5.60)
Thursday
23.00: (4.00) Burgos (3.35) Valencia (2.00)
23.00: (10.0) Santander (6.50) Barcelona (1.25)
***odds are subject to change***
