Kylian Mbappe said it has been a "pleasure to play for and learn from" Xabi Alonso after the latter was sacked by Real Madrid.
Alonso's seven-month tenure as Madrid boss came to an end on Monday.
It followed on from a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona, who lead the way in LaLiga by four points, in the Supercopa de Espana.
Alonso was highly touted as Madrid's next long-term boss when he replaced Carlo Ancelotti last year, but the former midfielder has now been replaced by his ex club-mate Alvaro Arbeloa.
"It's been short, but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you," Mbappe posted on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself and Alonso.
"Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day one.
"I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter."
Official Announcement: Xabi Alonso.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) January 12, 2026
While several players were reportedly disgruntled with Alonso's methods, Mbappe has been in stellar form this season.
Not counting the Club World Cup, Mbappe has plundered 29 goals in 25 games across all competitions this term, a tally bettered only by Harry Kane (31) among players who feature for clubs in Europe's top five leagues.
Alonso oversaw 34 games for Madrid, winning 24 of those matches (D4 L6), and boasting a 70.6% win rate.
Overall, of the permanent coaches to take charge of Madrid, Alonso has the fifth-best win rate, after Manuel Pellegrini (75%), Ancelotti (74.8%), Radomir Antic (72.2%) and Jose Mourinho (71.9%)
Real Madrid squad stunned by Alonso departure
The entire Real Madrid squad has reportedly been left stunned by Alonso’s departure after only eight months in charge. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach returned to the Bernabéu in May ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup, in which Los Blancos were eliminated in the semifinals.
Although Alonso’s overall record is probably better than you might think, there was a feeling throughout his time in charge that he was struggling to get his team to perform at its best.
How Mbappé thrived under Alonso
That can’t be said about Mbappé, who has been in scintillating form under Alonso. The French superstar has netted 29 goals in just 25 games in 2024-25, including nine goals in five Champions League fixtures. In his last LaLiga appearance of 2025, the former PSG attacker matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid record of 59 goals in a calendar year.
Arbeloa might be able to get more out of the team than Alonso, but he will do extremely well to get Mbappé to keep firing as prolifically.