Reactions to Xabi Alonso’s Departure from Real Madrid

Reactions to Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid unfolded rapidly throughout the afternoon after the club officially announced the coach’s exit. Former players Álvaro Benito and Guti were among those who expressed their thoughts on the matter. Benito highlighted the importance of the coach’s philosophy, whereas Guti commented on the relationship Alonso maintained with the players.

Álvaro Benito advocated for a more resolute stance from Alonso, stating, “No coach is ever completely secure in their position; no one is guaranteed their job if they don’t win. What you need to do is to stand firm with your beliefs and impose your ideas over anyone else’s because, in the end, you will be let go regardless. If you do get dismissed, let it be because you stood by your convictions. The only thing that saves a coach is winning; if you don’t win, you are out. It doesn’t matter what the management claims about their confidence in you.”

He further asserted, “The only thing that can save you is winning, but you must strive to enforce your ideas to the very end. I am sure Xabi Alonso will regret not having pushed his ideas further, irrespective of others.”

Meanwhile, Guti, speaking on DAZN, mentioned a potential disconnect between the coach and the players: “I haven’t experienced the day-to-day dynamics of the locker room under Xabi, but it’s true that when a team is unhappy with their coach, it becomes evident—not only during training but also in matches. I believe this dissatisfaction has been the catalyst for Xabi’s departure at this time. If we consider the results, it’s worth noting that Flick, the coach of Barcelona, had similar results to Xabi Alonso over 34 matches, indicating that Alonso’s performance wasn’t necessarily poor. However, there were persistent rumors about his compatibility with the squad.”

Regarding Arbeloa’s appointment as the new coach of Real Madrid, Guti remarked, “It’s a mystery, but Zidane was also an unknown when he was appointed, coming from Castilla at a time when things weren’t going well. Whether he is capable or not, the club knows that, having worked with the youth academy for a long time. They have entrusted him with this responsibility because they believe in him, and now we must wait to see how things unfold.”