Despite getting next to no game-time under the Basque coach, the young Brazilian spoke highly of his former boss
Brazilian striker Endrick has stated that he has no hard feelings towards his former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, despite being given minimal game-time by the Basque boss.
So bad was the situation for the 19-year-old striker during the current season that he sought to ply his trade elsewhere for the second half of the season, with Ligue 1 giants Lyon eventually taking him on loan.
Endrick had played just 11 minutes in LaLiga, 11 minutes in the Champions League and 77 in the Copa del Rey, before his January move to France.
But the situation at Real Madrid has changed drastically in the last week, with Xabi Alonso being dismissed by Florentino Perez following the 3-2 defeat to rivals FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final.
Endrick has no hard feelings towards Xabi Alonso
Yet despite the disappointment he felt in the first half of the season under Alonso, Endrick spoke highly of his former boss in a recent interview with MARCA.
“I learnt a lot from Xabi in Madrid,” he said. “He was a top-level player and knows football very well. Although I was injured for a long time and couldn’t train with everyone, I benefited greatly from what I heard from him.
“Now I’m learning from [Lyon coach] Paulo Fonseca, who is also meticulous. If you have an open mind, you learn every day from great coaches, and that’s what I’m looking for.”
A big motivation behind his January move was to work his way back into the Brazil national team with the 2026 World Cup coming up this summer, and to work again under his first Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who is now in charge of the Seleção.
“The Brazilian national team is the most important in the world. No one has a guaranteed place. I want to play for Brazil again, but that depends on what I do now at Lyon,” Endrick stated.
“In the first match, I achieved my goal: qualifying [to the next round] of the cup [Coupe de France]. It was great because I scored my first goal for the club, but I have to aim higher. If I score more, my chances of being called up will increase.
“They have been excellent. I received a very warm welcome at the club and had all the necessary support for my integration and for those who will be working with me,” he added.