The constant turbulence of Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid

BarcelonaThere's no sign of the "unstoppable force" that Xabi Alonso promised to make Real Madrid into on the day he was presented as the brand-new manager. Although he never had Florentino Pérez's full confidence, neither when he was hired nor during the numerous disputes with Vinicius that the Basque coach has had so far, some within the inner circle of the all-powerful Real Madrid president suggest that he's on board. suggest that he opt for a more methodical coach. This would mean a shift from the paradigm of recent years, where Real Madrid had had great managers, but less interventionist and more managerial, like Carlo Ancelotti, with whom the team completely lost its way last season, or Zinedine Zidane. In fact, the former French footballer and Florentino Pérez's favorite is one of the names most frequently mentioned by the Madrid-based sports press as a potential replacement. The other leading candidate is the reserve team coach, and also a former Real Madrid player, Álvaro Arbeloa, who also maintains a close relationship with Alonso. After suffering two defeats in just four days at the Santiago Bernabéu, the first on Sunday against Celta Vigo (0-2) with the stadium booing, and the second against Manchester City (1-2) this Wednesday, the coach is on thin ice. For now, they've saved their skin because Real Madrid redeemed themselves against the English team, despite losing again.

Alonso's arrival as manager was heavily promoted with a three-year contract. Pure window dressing, and in just a few months, it's already being questioned. The Basque coach requested a central midfielder, a position that has become a major Achilles' heel for Real Madrid following Toni Kroos' retirement two seasons ago. Florentino Pérez refused to grant Alonso's request to reinforce a position that continues to be a weakness, and where attempts like converting Ardar Güler to central midfield are proving unsuccessful; in fact, the Turk was a substitute against Manchester City. The financial arguments never convinced the manager because, conversely, a player like Franco Mastantuono was signed for €45 million. He was, however, granted permission to bring in Álvaro Carreras to play on the left flank.

Other factors, such as injuries at right-back to both Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, have also shaken up a dressing room where the players wield too much power: Valverde, converted to right-back in an emergency, has complained openly about having to play in that position. The well-known incidents with Vinicius have already been mentioned: particularly telling was the day Alonso substituted him in the 72nd minute of the Clásico against Barça. Against City, Rodrygo returned to action, having gone more than nine months without scoring a goal in a Real Madrid shirt. The Brazilian celebrated by hugging the manager. However, only Kylian Mbappé, with extraordinary numbers (25 goals in 21 games), has managed to thrive amidst Real Madrid's constant turmoil.

Just one prestigious victory

Despite losing to City, Alonso gained a lifeline because his team battled until the very end. But the shortcomings of the project, if there is indeed a project, remain quite evident. At the start of his tenure, results saved him, but now they no longer do, although he sits second in La Liga, four points behind Barça, and still has a chance of finishing in the top eight in the Champions League. This—and redeeming himself against City for some of the lackluster performance against Celta—allows Alonso to keep his job. In the big matches, however, Real Madrid has only managed a draw against Barça (2-1). The rest have been defeats: PSG thrashed them (4-0) in the Club World Cup; Atlético Madrid gave them a thrashing (5-2); a Liverpool side in crisis also beat them (1-0); and City, without playing particularly well, denied them victory (1-2). In La Liga, three consecutive draws against weaker opponents led to a poor run of form, which the team masked with a resounding 3-0 victory at San Mamés, but which was quickly forgotten after the crushing defeat against Celta Vigo. The manager, for now, remains in his position.