The sacking of Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager came as no surprise, especially to Madridistas who are fans of the Spanish soccer giants.
The club announced on Monday that Alonso had resigned from his position “by mutual consent” and that Alvaro Arbeloa had been promoted from the club’s reserve team coaching position to replace him.
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Alonso, 44, had less than a year left on the three-year contract he signed last summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti.
The club announced his departure after just seven months at the helm of a star-studded team, but fans and local soccer experts could have predicted the outcome.
Here’s how Alonso’s reign unfolded and why he was sacked by Real Madrid.
What went wrong during Alonso’s time at Real Madrid?
Veteran Los Blancos observers believe that despite being a club legend, Alonso committed a number of “mortal sins” that failed to protect him from the wrath of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Spanish football expert Graham Hunter said: “Alonso has been accused of several violations in the eyes of Mr. Perez, the only person whose opinion matters when the fate of a manager is involved.”
The biggest reason for this was Real Madrid’s 3-2 loss to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. In the eyes of the almighty Perez, missing out on the silver medal against Barça was too big a mistake to pass up.
“Losing to Barcelona in an important final still seems like a crime punishable by death,” Hunter said.
Add to this a patchy performance in La Liga by Real Madrid’s standards, including a 5-2 thrashing in the Madrid derby, draws with the bottom three teams and a home loss to Celta Vigo.
Problems have been brewing for Alonso over the past few months, as he lost to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League and has now won just two of eight games.
This poor performance affected Madrid’s position at the top of La Liga, with their five-point gap over Barcelona turning into a four-point gap.
Real Madrid’s results have improved recently, but the performances have not convinced the management. The team defeated Atlético Madrid in the Super Cup semi-finals despite being behind, but lost in the final.
“When Real Madrid dropped points against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, and lost at home to Celta and Manchester City, there was a huge search by the club and the media to find those responsible,” Hunter explained.
“The coach was found guilty, rightly or not.”
In addition to the result, the fact that Alonso publicly displayed a falling out with star forward Vinicius Junior also didn’t help his case.
All these factors combined to decide the fate of the football manager.
How did Alonso perform as Real Madrid manager?
The former midfielder was welcomed to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in May 2025 amid fanfare after signing a contract to stay until 2028.
Considered a modern-day strategist, he has an impressive resume, having led German football giants Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, German Cup title and a place in the UEFA Europa League final.
Arosno’s first real test came at the FIFA Club World Cup, where Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals in July. Alonso insisted he would not put his coaching style into practice until the start of the new La Liga season (2025-26), a clear sign of the big differences between his previous club and the Spanish giants.
During the summer, Alonso’s contract goal did not materialize, with Martin Zvimendi choosing Arsenal over Real Madrid.
When the La Liga season began, Alonso got off to a good start with a string of wins, including a 2-1 Clasico win against Barcelona in October. However, rot soon set in, resulting in defeats to Celta Vigo and Manchester City.
What was the story of Alonso vs Vinicius Junior?
The fracas began during the El Clasico win when Vinicius Junior ran off the pitch after being substituted by the manager in the 71st minute. The striker later issued an apology, but it was not directed at Alonso.
Hunter, a soccer expert based in Spain, believes club management did not support the Brazilian in the aftermath of the scandal because they viewed the Brazilian as a valuable asset.
Club president Perez in particular was keen to keep Vinicius on the club’s books.
Hunter said: “During the Vinicius Junior scandal, Alonso’s outbursts of anger and complete disrespect towards the manager caused damage to Alonso’s public reputation and the club’s credibility.”
“He (Vinicius Junior) said he wanted to leave the club. Perez wanted Vinicius Junior to renew his contract. It is now clear that this has caused irreparable damage to Perez’s view of the manager.”
Alonso thus becomes the 10th Real Madrid manager to be sacked during Perez’s reign, and without completing a full year in charge.
What did Alonso say after leaving Real Madrid?
Despite his dismissal, Alonso said he was leaving the club with “gratitude, respect and pride”.
“This phase of my career has come to an end, but not with the results we had hoped for. It has been both an honor and a responsibility to coach Real Madrid,” Alonso wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
“I would like to thank the club, the players and above all the fans… I leave here with respect, gratitude and the pride of having given my best.”
Who is Real Madrid’s new manager, Alvaro Arbeloa?
Alonso was replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid right-back who made 238 appearances during his seven years at the club.
Arbeloa has been the manager of the club’s B team, Real Madrid Castilla, since June 2025, and has been the youth academy coach since 2020.
His lack of coaching experience at the highest level has been a talking point in Madrid.
Soccer journalist Lorenzo Calonje wrote in Spanish newspaper El Pais on Tuesday that Arbeloa has been a candidate to succeed Alonso for some time.
“Ever since Xabi Alonso started teetering on the brink a month ago, Arbeloa’s name has been mentioned as the front-runner to take over the reins of Real Madrid if[Alonso]is sacked,” he said.
“His coaching career was short (five and a half seasons) and he was always inside Real Madrid’s training facilities. He has never managed a senior or professional team and has never worked outside the Valdebebas (training ground).”
But what Arbeloa lacks in terms of experience as a professional manager, he makes up for as a player. The 42-year-old began his top-flight career with Real Madrid and spent two seasons with Liverpool from 2007 to 2009.
Arbeloa returned to Los Blancos and was at the club from 2009 to 2016, one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, winning two Champions League trophies.
The reliable backline player was also part of the Spain squad that won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships, making 56 international appearances.
Soccer expert Hunter believes Arbeloa’s temperament may not be compatible with the Bernabeu’s mentally strong stars.
“Arbeloa’s problem is that he is so dull that he resembles a carpenter’s hammer. He is relentless, relentless, and completely unafraid to incur the displeasure or disapproval of others.”
