“Something had to happen, and doing the same thing meant nothing was going to change,” was the line heard Tuesday morning at Valdebebas. It served as the internal explanation for letting Xabi Alonso go and handing the reins to Álvaro Arbeloa as Real Madrid’s new head coach. The goal now is simple: spark a reaction, shake the tree, and reignite the competitive and footballing edge that some players appear to have misplaced.
Why Real Madrid and Alonso parted ways
The message could not be clearer. Decision-makers felt time slipping away, and what they observed showed no signs of growth. This was not about results alone. It was about the feeling around the team, which began to turn against the coach after conceding five goals at the Metropolitano, lingered through subsequent matches, and finally boiled over after the tense showdown with Celta. Few recent games have produced such a charged atmosphere in the Bernabeu directors’ box.
Alonso’s arrival in Madrid had been driven by media pressure, popular acclaim and genuine belief within the club that he could be the right man to move on from the era of Carlo Ancelotti. Replacing the most decorated coach in Real Madrid history was always going to be a daunting task for anyone.
Alonso’s relationship with Madrid stars
What hurt Alonso most in recent months was his relationship with the players. Contrary to some reports, he never asked the team to form a guard of honor for Barcelona in Jeddah. Instead, he wanted his players to huddle together away from the television cameras. Even Kylian Mbappe’s much-discussed gesture was aimed at broadcast crews, not at the coach.
The relationship was never smooth, although it was not as toxic as some narratives suggested. Players and club figures had asked Alonso to open up more, to avoid relying solely on his tight-knit coaching circle as the only path to achieving objectives. At Real Madrid, those objectives are clear: winning and projecting authority on the field.
Xabi Alonso resists fitness coach
Alonso tried to build his Real Madrid around the vision he shared with his trusted staff. He was unwilling to move away from that inner circle. On several occasions, the club hinted at bringing back Antonio Pintus, a familiar and influential figure in Madrid’s fitness culture. That never materialized, by the coach’s own choice. In the end, the reasoning came full circle. Doing the same thing, the club concluded, meant nothing was ever going to change.