Real Madrid dismisses Xabi Alonso

BarcelonaXabi Alonso is no longer the manager of Real Madrid. This is the brief statement in which the club, presided over by Florentino Pérez, explains the firm decision: "Real Madrid announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as manager of the first team. Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madridistas. Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new chapter of their lives." His replacement as manager of the first team will be Álvaro Arbeloa, until now the manager of Real Madrid Castilla and a close friend of Alonso, with whom he forged a strong relationship when they played together under José Mourinho.

After ending his career as a professional footballer, Arbeloa began his coaching career in 2020, joining Real Madrid's youth academy. He started in the club's youth system as the Under-14 A team, leading them to the league title, before moving up to the Under-16 A team – a higher age group – the following season. These were the steps leading up to taking charge of the Under-19 A team, the final step in youth football before reaching the semi-professional level. With the Under-19 A team, Arbeloa continued his upward trajectory: in the 2022-2023 season, his team won the league, the Copa del Rey Juvenil (Youth King's Cup), and the Copa de Campeones (Champions Cup). These positive results strengthened his position as a coach within Real Madrid's youth system. Starting that season, he became the coach of Castilla, in the Primera Federación (the third tier of Spanish football), succeeding Real Madrid legend Raúl González at the helm of the reserve team, which currently still has a chance of promotion to professional football.

Xabi Alonso's time on the Real Madrid bench has come to an end following the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup this Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Although his team competed against a far superior Barcelona side until the final whistle, Florentino Pérez ultimately decided to make a radical coaching change. The San Sebastián native, who arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu with a strong track record at Bayer Leverkusen, leading them to the Bundesliga title ahead of the powerful Bayern Munich, signed a contract a few months ago until June 2028. His dismissal also implies the departure of his trusted coaching staff and the return, pending official confirmation, of Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti to continue the club's successful years. Furthermore, Alonso's premature departure strengthens the already formidable squad of stars at Real Madrid, especially Vinícius Júnior, who has publicly questioned the Basque coach's decisions during matches since the summer.

70.6% wins with Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso's record is much more limited in terms of volume: 34 matches managed, with 24 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses, a winning percentage of 70.6%. This is a very low percentage for this stage of the season, before reaching any advanced phases of La Liga, the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey. In fact, the only title contested so far, the Spanish Super Cup, has ultimately sealed the Basque coach's fate. During his brief stint on the Real Madrid bench, Alonso was bombarded—especially on social media—with comparisons and memes to Xavi Hernández: a highly talented former midfielder who returned to his club as manager, only to find things not going his way. The man from Terrassa managed Barça for 141 official matches, with a record of 89 wins, 23 draws and 29 losses, figures that translate into a 63.1% win rate, a considerable record considering the context of economic and sporting reconstruction in which he took over.