Article by Mihai Mironică – Published Monday, January 12, 2026 10:35 p.m. / Updated Monday, January 12, 2026 10:36 p.m.
And how much Real Madrid wanted Alonso. The Spain icon was strategizing for the bench while waiting for Xabi to finish his assignment at Bayer Leverkusen. The longer the wait, the faster the relationship wore off. Xabi, half a season at Real Madrid, to what reception he was given, represents the biggest managerial failure in the recent history of the colossus in the capital of Spain.
What was supposed to be the Alonso era at Real turned into a 232-day 34-game spell that saw 24 wins and 6 losses. It was transformed into a kind of interim.
The possible separation from Alonso has been written about in Spain since December. Confidence in the coach's ability had cracked with the decline that began in November.
After, on November 1, Alonso was with Madrid in first place in LaLiga with 5 points above the 2nd place and very well in the Champions League, the fall brought in 72 days the resignation. The club's announcement speaks of an elegant split by mutual consent, but in fact it was an outburst by the impulsive Florentino Perez.
The humiliating series in El Clasico
The Supercup is considered the least important trophy. You never see a manager sacked after missing a Super Cup, not in Spain, not anywhere else. In addition, Madrid is not dramatic neither in the championship nor in the Champions. But nothing is more depressing for Real than the incredible series of failures against the eternal rival.
Alonso had put an end to that humiliating streak, but the win in the fall was ultimately just an island in an ocean of humiliating El Clasico failures for Real. Barcelona is the nightmare that befell Xabi Alonso.
The downfall of Alonso's Real began at Anfield, a special stadium for the Basque manager, with Xabi lifting the Champions League trophy with Liverpool. Real lost then and since that game they have won only half of their matches. At Anfield, Alonso's decline began, but it could also be the site of his renaissance.
Arne Slot has no win in his last 3 Premier League games, Liverpool are playing a depressing game in attack, are 14 points behind Arsenal and the manager's situation is on a knife edge. Xabi Alonso was an unfulfilled dream for Liverpool because Real Madrid are the biggest name for a Spaniard who has also played at the Bernabeu.
But Alonso's departure from Madrid is a new source of pressure for Arne Slot at Liverpool.
As beautiful as Xabi Alonso's story was in Leverkusen, it was as disappointing in Madrid. And that's because Bayer gave Alonso a resource so hard to find at the world's biggest club, patience. Well, we see that Real Romania, FCSB, has discovered this very rare resource, patience.
The Romanian champion ended the year in an incredible 9th place, but Elias & Pinti are unwavering. In the old days, Becali was a blood brother with the president of Real. But how different is the attitude of Becali towards that of the descendant of the blood brother. The second in the ranking dismisses its coach, the ninth keeps him even in the weakest domestic season in the club's history.
