Inside the Dressing-Room Revolt That Ended Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid Tenure

Real Madrid and head coach Xabi Alonso have parted ways by mutual agreement, just seven months after the former club legend took charge of the first team. The announcement came on January 12, 2026, one day after a 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The loss proved to be the decisive factor in ending Alonso's tenure, despite the club's official statement framing the departure as amicable.

Alonso, who arrived with high expectations following his successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen, where he achieved a nearly unbeaten season, managed Real Madrid for 34 matches. His record included 24 wins but also six losses—a relatively high number by the club's exacting standards. The team had led La Liga by five points in October but suffered a notable winter slump, falling four points behind Barcelona in the league standings. Additional setbacks in Europe, including losses to Manchester City and Liverpool in the Champions League, as well as heavy defeats such as a 4-0 loss to PSG in the Club World Cup and a 5-2 thrashing by Atletico Madrid, further eroded confidence in his leadership.

Behind-the-scenes tensions reportedly played a significant role in the decision. Spanish media outlets, including reports from El Chiringuito and El Pais, indicated that Alonso had gradually lost control of the dressing room due to dissatisfaction with his rigid tactical approach and frequent player rotations. Senior players, including Federico Valverde, were said to be frustrated by a system that limited the instinctive, free-flowing style traditionally associated with Real Madrid. A notable incident in October involved Vinicius Junior walking straight down the tunnel after being substituted, later apologizing to the club but not directly to Alonso. The post-match ceremony following the Barcelona defeat became a symbolic flashpoint: Alonso instructed his players to form a guard of honor for the winners, but Kylian Mbappe and other senior figures reportedly ignored the request and headed to the bench, highlighting a clear breakdown in authority.

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The club's president, Florentino Perez, is understood to have made the call swiftly within 24 hours of the Super Cup final. While the official communique described the exit as mutual, various Spanish sources portrayed it as a sacking driven by the high expectations at the Bernabeu and the intolerance for trophy defeats against Barcelona. Alonso's frustrations were compounded by the club's failure to secure his key summer transfer target, Martin Zubimendi, which left gaps in midfield following the retirements of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Real Madrid moved quickly to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as the new head coach. Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid defender and club stalwart, had been managing the reserve team (Castilla) since June 2025 after years in the academy system. Spanish media describe him as a "club man" expected to restore the traditional "Real Madrid DNA" and better manage the squad's high-profile personalities. The change comes at a critical juncture, with the team still in contention in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey.

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