Xabi Alonso Leaves Real Madrid Amid Internal Struggles and Complications

Reports indicate that Xabi Alonso's tenure at Real Madrid was fraught with difficulties, including opposition from club president Florentino Pérez, who was skeptical of his appointment despite support from the executive board following Alonso's success at Bayer Leverkusen.

The departure of Alonso followed the team's 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final in Yeda, where he found himself outside the project less than a day after the match, despite his comments downplaying the tournament and urging the team to "move forward."

While the club's statement referred to a "mutual agreement," sources close to Alonso confirmed that it was, in fact, a clear dismissal.

From the outset, Alonso did not enjoy full confidence within the club and failed to achieve the same status as previous coaches like Ancelotti or Zidane.

This lack of support was evident in the locker room, where Alonso felt isolated, and some players believed his decisions lacked backing from management, particularly in the case of Vinícius Júnior, who publicly expressed frustration after being substituted in a key match.

His attempts to enforce strict discipline, including insisting on punctuality and limiting the presence of players' associates at training facilities, were met with resistance.

Disagreements also arose over player signings, as Alonso sought to acquire midfielder Martín Zubimendi, while management felt the current roster was adequate.

The decline in performance and an increase in injuries heightened pressure, especially following the dismissal of Antonio Pintus, the physical preparation coach during the Zidane and Ancelotti eras, who was reinstated shortly after Alonso's departure, signaling a clear loss of confidence.

Despite Alonso's later efforts to ease restrictions and provide players with more freedom, these measures came too late, and with ongoing poor results, management concluded that the project was no longer sustainable.