Real Madrid announced on Monday the departure of Xabi Alonso, stating that they have decided “by mutual agreement” to end his tenure as first-team coach. The news comes less than 24 hours after the defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barça. His replacement is Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach of the B team.
It seemed that despite the setback, the coach would continue at the Santiago Bernabéu. The ‘merengues’ competed in the Clásico, although the image of falling back and waiting was negative; they were just a header from Asensio away from a penalty shootout. However, the club decided to put an end to the project of its big bet after seven months and 33 official matches in charge.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a legend of Real Madrid and has represented our club’s values at all times. Real Madrid will always be his home,” the club’s statement reads. It also “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 stage of their lives.”
The Basque coach arrived at Chamartín in early June as a representative of a change of cycle and ideas. He replaced Carlo Ancelotti, who left for the Brazilian national team, after making history by winning the first Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and creating a team with a clear identity, based on high pressing and fast play. But what was seen at Real Madrid was nowhere near what he demonstrated in Germany.
Xabi used the Club World Cup as a testing ground and suffered a heavy defeat in the semifinals against PSG. He relied on Gonzalo and outlined some ideas that gradually faded with the start of La Liga and competitive pressure. The striker didn’t regain prominence until this Super Cup due to Kylian Mbappé’s injury, lost the league derby 5-2, and despite winning the first Clásico, left with frustration over Vinicius’s poor behavior.
