The Spanish football club Real Madrid has made its 11th managerial change in two decades under the presidency of Florentino Pérez, with Xabi Alonso being relieved of his duties after just over seven months at the helm. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, who won the Champions League with the club in 2002, took charge following a season of 'laissez-faire' failure.
Alonso's tenure was marked by an attempt to adapt to the club's culture, but it appears that this approach ultimately failed to gel. He had promised a collective approach, where players would have to "run" as one unit, but in reality, individual players continued to dominate the game, with the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scoring most of the goals.
The tension in the dressing room was palpable, with several high-profile players, including Fede Valverde and Vinícius himself, complaining about Alonso's tactics and instructions. The coach had started by giving pressure to Álvaro Valverde, but then moved him to full-back, which didn't quite work out either.
Alonso tried to instill a sense of discipline and structure in the team, but it seems that this was not enough to overcome the club's egos and individual player interests. The coach had even sought advice from his friend Pep Guardiola, who told him to "do it my way" - but Alonso ultimately couldn't control the players' expectations.
The final straw came after a defeat in a Champions League match, when Vinícius stormed down the tunnel after being removed by Alonso. The Brazilian then refused to give Alonso a guard of honour after the team's loss to Barcelona in the Super Cup final, a gesture that spoke volumes about the rift between player and coach.
In the end, Alonso's attempt to implement his vision for the club was met with resistance from the very players he had hoped would follow him. His departure is a stark reminder that being a manager at Real Madrid requires more than just tactical acumen - it demands a delicate balance of egos and personalities.
Alonso's tenure was marked by an attempt to adapt to the club's culture, but it appears that this approach ultimately failed to gel. He had promised a collective approach, where players would have to "run" as one unit, but in reality, individual players continued to dominate the game, with the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scoring most of the goals.
The tension in the dressing room was palpable, with several high-profile players, including Fede Valverde and Vinícius himself, complaining about Alonso's tactics and instructions. The coach had started by giving pressure to Álvaro Valverde, but then moved him to full-back, which didn't quite work out either.
Alonso tried to instill a sense of discipline and structure in the team, but it seems that this was not enough to overcome the club's egos and individual player interests. The coach had even sought advice from his friend Pep Guardiola, who told him to "do it my way" - but Alonso ultimately couldn't control the players' expectations.
The final straw came after a defeat in a Champions League match, when Vinícius stormed down the tunnel after being removed by Alonso. The Brazilian then refused to give Alonso a guard of honour after the team's loss to Barcelona in the Super Cup final, a gesture that spoke volumes about the rift between player and coach.
In the end, Alonso's attempt to implement his vision for the club was met with resistance from the very players he had hoped would follow him. His departure is a stark reminder that being a manager at Real Madrid requires more than just tactical acumen - it demands a delicate balance of egos and personalities.
I mean, I get it, the team wasn't performing as well as expected, but couldn't he have at least tried to mix things up a bit? The article says he wanted players to "run" as one unit, but if that's not working, maybe try something else? 
And what's with all these egos in the team? Fede Valverde and Vinícius complaining about his tactics? That's just ridiculous... 
can't believe Alonso's tenure ended like this 
all those promises about "running as one unit" and individual players dominating the game... meanwhile Mbappé & Vinícius were just chillin' scoring goals 
guess it's true what they say - at Real Madrid, it's not just about winning, but also about maintaining your ego 
and honestly, I kinda feel bad for Alonso, he seemed like a nice guy 
but i guess Pep's advice didn't quite work out for him 
anyway, think the club should have stuck to their guns and given him more time, maybe they didn't even know what his vision was 
gotta feel for the guy though, it can't be easy trying to change the culture of a team like Real Madrid. I've always thought Alonso would make a great manager outside of football tho, he's got that business sense 
. The real issue is that Real Madrid needs someone who can manage the egos of these superstar players 
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! Alonso's whole "run as one unit" thing sounds super promising, but I guess it was all just too much for the big egos at Real Madrid 
. You gotta love how he tried to get advice from Pep Guardiola - dude's like the master, what's next? Asking Messi for help with tactics? 
. I mean, come on! If you want to get ahead at this club, you've got to be willing to make some tough decisions and ruffle a few feathers 
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. That's not leadership, that's just coddling your mates. And don't even get me started on Vinícius storming off after being removed from the game... that's some serious attitude problem 
but honestly it's super hard when you got players who are basically superheroes on the field 
like Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior 
imagine a flowchart with Alonso at the top, and then you got these lines branching off to all these different paths where he tries to adapt to the culture 
but it's just too much for him 
. I mean, he came in with some big promises about changing the team's culture, but it looks like it just didn't work out. The guys at the club are just too used to being stars and getting all the attention, you know? It's hard for a coach to impose their will when there's that much ego on the pitch 
... I mean, Real Madrid fans must be feeling pretty disappointed 
. It's not that his ideas were bad or anything, it's just that the club has a certain... let's say 'personality' 
or maybe some1 else who can actually get the team 2 work together 
. Alonso needed to find ways to motivate his players, but instead he came across as all controlling and bossy. No wonder the players pushed back 
! I mean, i get it, its tough to crack real madrid's code, but come on! 
️ he tried the "run as one unit" thing, but its clear the players just want to score goals & win trophies 
. its not just about tactics, its about managing egos & personalities 
. Alonso thought he could do it his way, like pep guardiola told him to 
. Alonso didn't quite do that, so yeah, i'm not surprised its over 
And poor Alonso was basically thrown under the bus by his so-called friend Pep Guardiola 