Alonso axed, as desert clasico defeat final straw for Madrid

Xabi Alonso's reign as Real Madrid coach lasted less than eight months, as the Spaniard agreed a deal to leave the Spanish giant on Monday.

The former midfield maestro was expected to overhaul Madrid's game with a cerebral and tactically adroit approach, but his team flattered to deceive.

By the end, Madrid looked in similar shape to how it performed last season, where it ended up without a major trophy, as it was outplayed by rival Barcelona in a 3-2 Spanish Super Cup final defeat on Sunday.

"Real Madrid announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his tenure as first-team coach to an end," said Los Blancos in a statement.

In a separate statement Madrid then announced Alvaro Arbeloa would take Alonso's place, without specifying the length of the 42-year-old's contract.

"Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's academy since 2020," said Los Blancos.

Four points behind the Catalan La Liga leader and sitting seventh in the league phase of the Champions League, Madrid president Florentino Perez finally swung the axe that had been hovering above Alonso's neck for several weeks, as a run of five victories kept him in his post until the loss in Saudi Arabia.

Alonso, who gained plaudits at Bayer Leverkusen after winning the Bundesliga undefeated in 2024, arrived at Real Madrid with dreams of leading the team to glory like Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane before him.

However, his early dismissal leaves him among a less illustrious list of other swiftly ousted coaches including Rafa Benitez and Julen Lopetegui.

Alonso would have liked a new midfield arrival in the summer after the departure of Luka Modric in the summer and Toni Kroos the year before, but none was forthcoming.

The team's performance at the Club World Cup in Alonso's initial matches in charge showed some early promise, despite the stinging 4-0 defeat meted out by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.

At Real the squad's biggest names tend to rule the roost, and despite a good start in terms of results, cracks began to show, with Alonso's approach not seeming to suit some of them.

The Basque manager rotated his pack heavily, to the chagrin of players like Vinicius Junior, who was benched on several occasions and hauled off early on others.

After being substituted in a 2-1 clasico victory in La Liga in October, Vinicius did not hide his rage at Alonso. From that moment things changed.

The coach did not make an example of Vinicius, and instead restored his near untouchable status — even through a run of 16 matches without scoring, which finally ended in Jeddah. Too little, too late.

Jude Bellingham also became an undisputed first choice after recovering from shoulder surgery, even though the England international's form has been inconsistent.

Youngsters who did well at the start of the season, including Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono, found their game time limited.

Along with the return of the stars, some of Alonso's concepts were phased out too. High pressing vanished from the tactics board.

Madrid suffered a spate of injuries, which Alonso said was partly the reason for his team's change of approach, and it reduced his options.

Although the October clasico win over Barcelona bought Alonso some time, it seemed president Perez was never convinced.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe was hammering the goals in, but the team rarely flowed in attack, with too many cooks spoiling the proverbial broth.

"It's been short, but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you," Mbappe wrote on Instagram.

"I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas, and knows many things about football. Best of luck for (your) next chapter."

Guler, too, was full of praise for his outgoing boss, issuing a heartfelt message on social media.

"Mr Xabi Alonso, thank you for believing and trusting in me from the first day," the Turkish star wrote on Instagram.

"Every conversation, every detail, every demand helped shape my game and push me to a higher level.

"I am truly grateful for everything you added to my journey.

"Your faith in me made me a better player. Your impact will always stay with me."

Former Manchester United player-turned-pundit, Rio Ferdinand, reacted on TikTok, saying: "He had the best CV, it was the perfect scenario; played at Real, played at the biggest clubs in Europe under the best managers.

"It just goes to show how hard a job it is to be a manager in football today, because I don't think there's anyone coming with better credentials as a young manager. He's a pure football man."

Downward spiral

A 5-2 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in September was an early blot in Alonso's copy book, while even when Madrid was winning games, it was not overly convincing.

When Madrid hosted an NFL match at the Santiago Bernabeu in November, it meant more away matches grouped together in its schedule, contributing to a bad run of form.

It lost away at Liverpool in the Champions League, while Madrid was whistled by its own fans after a home La Liga defeat by Celta Vigo in December.

Spanish media reported that Alonso was given an ultimatum: defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League would spell the end for him.

City coach Pep Guardiola backed Alonso before the game, pointing out the difficulty of coaching one of Spain's giants.

"It's a difficult place, but he knows it, he has been here (as a player), he knows the reality," said the former Barca coach.

Despite a 2-1 loss, Alonso was given a stay of execution.

The team's performance was improved, and players spoke out in support of the coach afterward.

However, since then, it felt like the first wrong move would spell the end of his reign.

Several wins were ticked off, although performances were largely still unconvincing, and Barcelona's Super Cup clasico victory provided the opportunity Perez needed to act.

AFP