Xabi Alonso Departures Signals Changes at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso was relieved of his duties as head coach of Real Madrid earlier this week after overseeing a 3-2 defeat to rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa de España last weekend. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored in the first half for Barcelona, but Real Madrid managed to equalize through quick goals from Vinicius Junior and Gonzalo Garcia before halftime.

Unfortunately, Real Madrid could not capitalize on their momentum, as Raphinha netted his second goal and Barcelona’s third in the 73rd minute. Despite a late red card for Frenkie de Jong, Hansi Flick’s side maintained their lead, securing the Supercopa title for the second consecutive season.

The defeat in Saudi Arabia led to Alonso’s dismissal, with the club issuing a statement on Monday confirming the mutual decision to part ways: “Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end.”

The statement continued, praising Alonso as a club legend and expressing gratitude for his hard work: “Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.”

In a swift response, Real Madrid appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as Alonso’s successor. However, Arbeloa’s start was less than ideal, as the team faced an upset in his first match, crashing out of the Copa del Rey to lower-league side Albacete with a 3-2 defeat, marked by a last-minute winning goal from Jefte Bentancor.

Arbeloa managed to secure a 2-0 victory against Levante in his first home game in La Liga, though the match was overshadowed by chants against club president Florentino Perez, with calls for his resignation filling the stadium. Arbeloa addressed these sentiments, suggesting that the dissent stemmed from individuals who do not truly support the club: “I know where the boos and these campaigns come from. They are not from people who don’t love Florentino, but from those who don’t love Madrid.”

He urged fans to support the players despite their frustrations, acknowledging their hurt and disappointment. Notably, the jeers were not solely directed at Perez; star players Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Federico Valverde also faced criticism, reportedly for their skepticism towards Alonso’s tactics. After the game, Arbeloa defended Vinicius, stating: “Vinicius is one of the most threatening players in the world. I will utilize him to the maximum, and I will demand the same from my teammates. I am proud to be his coach.”

The victory over Levante brought Real Madrid within one point of league leaders Barcelona, setting the stage for an important upcoming Champions League match. The team will face Monaco in Madrid on Tuesday night, seeking to recover from their 2-1 loss to Manchester City on matchday six of the league phase.