Coach Xabi Alonso (44 years old) and Real Madrid football club announced that they are parting ways. It is a divorce by mutual agreement. The former midfielder leaves after seven months. The decision came after the defeat in the Supercup final against Barcelona. The team was entrusted to another former Real Madrid player, Alvaro Arbeloa (42).
231 days. From May 26, the date of presentation, to January 12, the day of dismissal. That’s how long Xabi Alonso’s tenure at the “White House” lasted. He played 34 matches, with 24 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses. The Basque had signed a three-year contract until 2028. He will only receive the severance pay due in the first year, as always happens with the contracts made by Real. And he will be replaced by his former best friend, Alvaro Arbeloa, who coached second division Castilla. A very risky choice, in Florentino style. Perez.
The coach had been threatened with the sack before and after every game for several weeks. Today, while no one was saying anything, Madrid issued a statement describing a “mutual agreement between the parties“.
After the Club World Championship, which ended with a 4-0 defeat to Luis Enrique’s PSG, the season started brightly with 13 wins in 14 games and only one major blemish: a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano.
Madrid were top of La Liga, five points ahead of rivals Barça, beaten 2-1 at the Bernabeu, and fifth in the Champions League, three points behind the leaders.
However, during the Clásico, Vinicius, after being substituted, had caused a scandal and the club had failed to defend the coach. It was the first major crack. It then became clear that something was wrong in the relationship between Xabi and Florentino and between Xabi and the dressing room.
The Basque coach isolated himself, held boring press conferences, had no contact with key players and Perez was aloof. And the disappointing results have been accompanied by a worrying lack of play, with Barça currently 4 points clear, 9 points conceded to their arch-rivals in 9 matches.
Each match became a test to pass, but lately things seemed to be going better. Nothing foreshadowed the breakup. The Madrid press had applauded the dignified defeat of Madrid against Barcelona (3-2), last night, in the Spanish Supercup.
