‎'Real Madrid Will Never Play That Way': Xabi Alonso Told Why Failure Was Inevitable at Bernabéu

‎Xabi Alonso has been candidly informed why his stint as Real Madrid manager was always unlikely to succeed following his abrupt exit from the club. The former Spain international left Bayer Leverkusen to take charge of Los Blancos last summer, but his spell in the Spanish capital came to an unexpected end on Monday. Now, a respected La Liga figure has shared his assessment of why the 44-year-old struggled at the Santiago Bernabéu.

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‎Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid exit sparks debate as La Liga legend explains why his tactical style was never suited to Los Blancos, despite past success at Bayer Leverkusen.

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‎Alonso Departs the Bernabéu

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‎Barely a day after Real Madrid suffered a dramatic defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, the club confirmed that Alonso was no longer head coach. His reign lasted just over seven months, despite Madrid having pursued him for a long period. The club described the separation as a “mutual decision” and announced that Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa would step in as interim first-team manager.

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‎Real Madrid’s Official Statement

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‎In a detailed announcement, Real Madrid praised Alonso’s contribution and legacy at the club, highlighting the respect and admiration he holds among supporters as a former player. The statement thanked Alonso and his coaching staff for their commitment and wished them success in the next phase of their careers.

‎The club also outlined Arbeloa’s credentials, noting his long coaching journey within Madrid’s academy since 2020 and his trophy-laden spell with Juvenil A, including a treble in the 2022-23 season and a La Liga title in 2024-25.

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‎“That Style Has Never Existed at Madrid”

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‎Former Valencia midfielder Gaizka Mendieta believes Alonso’s tactical philosophy was incompatible with Real Madrid’s traditional approach. According to Mendieta, the high-pressing, compact system Alonso perfected at Leverkusen—where he won both the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal—has never truly been part of Madrid’s identity, making success difficult from the outset.

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‎Speaking to CasinoStugan, Mendieta explained that although Alonso attempted to implement his preferred system, it never fully materialised at Madrid. He argued that Real Madrid teams have historically struggled to maintain a consistently compact, high-pressing structure throughout matches, something Alonso values highly.

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‎Players Express Gratitude

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‎Following Alonso’s departure, with Real Madrid sitting four points behind Barcelona in La Liga, several players publicly thanked him. Top scorer Kylian Mbappé expressed appreciation on Instagram, describing the experience as brief but valuable and praising Alonso’s clear ideas and confidence in him from the beginning.

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‎Arda Güler also paid tribute, crediting Alonso for trusting him from day one and helping elevate his game. The young midfielder highlighted the manager’s attention to detail and encouragement, stating that Alonso’s influence would remain an important part of his development.

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‎Future at Liverpool?

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‎As Alonso steps away from management for now, former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise believes the Spaniard will one day take charge at Anfield. Riise also suggested that Steven Gerrard could follow a similar path, despite mixed managerial results so far. He feels both former midfielders possess leadership qualities that could inspire the club in the future, and believes Liverpool may eventually be managed by one—or even both—of them.