Los Blancos have parted ways with Xabi Alonso after just under eight months in charge
Real Madrid have parted ways with head coach Xabi Alonso following the team’s 3-2 Supercopa de España final defeat to FC Barcelona.
Los Blancos released a short statement to make the surprise announcement, which states that it was a “mutual agreement” between the club and the coach, and did not go into details about the reasons behind it.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach,” an official club statement read.
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
“Our club would like to thank Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their work and dedication throughout this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”
Xabi Alonso: Where did it all go wrong?
Xabi Alonso became Real Madrid head coach last summer, after a superb spell with Bayer Leverkusen where he guided the club to its first ever Bundesliga title in 2023/24 whilst remaining undefeated.
The Basque coach was given a hero’s welcome to Real Madrid in the summer, where he represented for five years as a player between 2009 and 2014.
A 4-0 Club World Cup semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain was quickly forgotten once the new season got underway, as Alonso won his first seven games in all competitions.
However, a 5-2 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid was the first warning sign for Alonso and his player. A 2-1 Clasico win over rivals Barcelona saw Los Blancos move seven points at the top of the LaLiga table, and yet a poor run of form led to them slipping to a four-point deficit by the midway point.
Then came the final nail in the coffin. The 3-2 Supercopa de España final defeat to the Blaugrana on Sunday was deemed the last straw for club president Florentino Perez, and the decision was made to cut Alonso’s spell short.
Who will become the next Real Madrid manager?
Taking over, at least for the immediate term, is another former Real Madrid player and fans favourite: Álvaro Arbeloa.
The former full-back has been the coach of Real Madrid Castilla for the last season and a half, enjoying plenty of plaudits for his work with the youngsters.
Whether he will be given time to impress Florentino Perez, or the club will go for an experienced coach, remains to be seen.