Six weeks is an eternity in football. Just ask Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid kicked off the Alonso era with 11 wins in their first 13 matches before suffering a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid. They bounced back in stellar fashion by demolishing Kairat Almaty 5 – 0 before brushing past […]
Six weeks is an eternity in football. Just ask Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid kicked off the Alonso era with 11 wins in their first 13 matches before suffering a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid. They bounced back in stellar fashion by demolishing Kairat Almaty 5 – 0 before brushing past Villarreal, Getafe, and Juventus, followed by a narrow 2-1 win against Barcelona. After opening November with a 4-0 win against Valencia, it seemed things couldn’t be going better for Real’s Spanish manager. It seemed that Real couldn’t have picked a better replacement for the legendary Italian technician Carlo Ancelotti.
Instead, Los Blancos succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against a struggling Liverpool side before being held to a goalless draw at Rayo Vallecano. They returned from the final international break of the year by drawing 2 – 2 to Elche, whilst they needed a superhuman effort from Kylian Mbappé to carry them to a 4 – 3 victory at Olympiacos. Mbappé could only equalize from the penalty spot as Real fell to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Girona, but he did respond with a brace at San Mamés to lead Real to a 3-0 win at Athletic Club. However, the Frenchman was kept under wraps at the weekend as Real fell to a 2-0 loss to Celta de Vigo, whilst he remained on the bench in their 2-1 defeat at Manchester City. Without him, Real registered just one shot on target, their lowest total in a Champions League home match since 2003/04.
“First and foremost, we’ve got to recognize that Carlo Ancelotti, and the way that he managed that group of players, was extraordinary,” stated MLS veteran and Apple TV+ pundit Brian Dunseth to R.Org. “I don’t think that there’s anything new that Alonso is dealing with that Ancelotti didn’t have to deal with; it’s a very similar situation with all the same talking points. Alonso has been widely regarded as the best up-and-coming manager of the past 18 months, so much so that he was the first name linked with replacing Jürgen Klopp for all the obvious reasons after his insane 2023/24 season, where he got the most out of that group of Bayer Leverkusen players.”
“I was lucky enough to be calling those FIFA Club World Cup games when Alonso took over, with guys like Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold acclimating in real time, and I thought it was going to be such a benefit to the start of the season that he would have this extended preseason opportunity to be amongst one another, to understand one another, to integrate themselves in the team. But ultimately, though, I think the writing was on the wall with Vinícius Júnior making an apology letter after his drama vs Barcelona, and not naming Alonso in the letter. And if indeed Real are at the moment where they feel like they’ve got to go for a different direction because he and his staff don’t have the connectivity with Real Madrid’s locker room, then that just kind of reinforces the strength of the player power that we’ve been hearing about for years.”
At 44 years of age, Alonso has undoubtedly had far more positives in his footballing career than negatives. After breaking onto the scene with Real Sociedad and leading the Basque side from the relegation zone into second place, Alonso earned a move to English side Liverpool in 2004, where he established himself as a crucial element under Rafa Benítez and spearheaded them to multiple trophies like the UEFA Champions League. He then moved to Real Madrid in 2009, where, after initially being left in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona, he helped turn the tide in Real’s favor and guided them to long-awaited domestic and international glory.
Alonso established himself as one of the greatest Spanish midfielders of all time alongside the likes of Xavi Hernández, Sergio Busquets, Guillermo Amor, and Andrés Iniesta, spearheading La Roja to two Euro titles and a first-ever World Cup. And after spending the final three years of his career with Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, it seemed that Alonso was destined to become a world-class coach. Having worked with various elite managers like Vicente del Bosque, Ancelotti, José Mourinho, and Benítez, Alonso’s footballing pedigree was matched by few in the game. It’s why, after launching his coaching trajectory with Real Sociedad’s B team, Alonso enjoyed a seamless transition to the senior game in 2022/23 by guiding Bayer Leverkusen from the relegation zone to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga as well as a trip to the UEFA Europa League semifinals.
Nobody could have possibly expected what would take place in the 2023/24 season, with Leverkusen enjoying an undefeated domestic double and winning their first-ever Bundesliga title, as well as reaching the Europa League Final, and putting an end to a three-decade-long search for silverware. Whilst Leverkusen took a step back in 2024/25, finishing second to Bayern Munich, Real were nevertheless convinced that Alonso was the right man for the job. Having put an end to Bayern’s seemingly unstoppable dynasty, surely, wrestling the title back from Barcelona and leading Real to a 16th European Cup wasn’t too much to ask?
Real Madrid were able to stop the bleeding after narrowly edging Alavés 2-1 via Rodrygo’s late winner, but they failed to convince with their display in Basque Country, unable to generate high-quality chances, looking sluggish in possession, whilst also allowing Alavés back into the game with lackadaisical finishing. Real sit second in the league table, four points behind Barcelona, and seventh in the Champions League standings, six points behind league leaders Arsenal. Alonso is under no illusions about his situation: he cannot afford any more defeats after losing to Manchester City, Celta de Vigo and Liverpool in recent weeks. The seat is getting hotter and hotter, and if Real fails to come away with anything less than a lopsided victory against lower-tier Talavera on Wednesday, then Alonso might very well end up with third-degree burns on his buttocks. After that, it’s a home match vs. Sevilla, followed by a two-week Christmas break prior to taking on Real Betis and Atlético Madrid.
Can Alonso stay employed into the new year? Stay tuned for what promises to be a pivotal week for the Spanish manager.
Category: General Sports
