Rumours of Xabi Alonso's imminent dismissal swept through Madrid even before the season reached its halfway point. Not so long ago it seemed that Real, under the guidance of the legendary midfielder, had found new life: a winning streak at the start, an eye-catching success in El Clasico, a sense of freshness after the Ancelotti era. But a single defeat in the derby and a few painful slips later, and talk of "game over" for Alonso is getting louder, while a four-point gap to Barcelona is perceived as a crack in the very foundations of the project.
From Opening Fireworks to Anxious Everyday Life
The start of the season was almost perfect: Los Blancos were picking up points even when their play looked far from ideal. But as the campaign went on, it became harder and harder to turn a blind eye to the systemic problems. Defeat in the Madrid derby, the loss of top spot, yet another collapse in a key match – and the media pressure turned into a constant background noise. On paper the gap to the leaders is not yet critical, and there is still a long league marathon ahead, but the feeling that the results are fragile has not gone away.
Where Has Xabi's Coaching Signature Gone?
The main complaint about Alonso is the lack of a clearly recognisable style. At Bayer, his team was instantly associated with aggressive pressing, structure in positional attacks and iron verticality. In Madrid, however, fans and pundits who follow the matches closely still do not see a recognisable model. Real either collapses in central areas, loses compactness between the lines, or gets stuck in toothless passing around the opposition box. For a club used to clear tactical contours, this is a worrying picture.
The Kroos–Casemiro–Modric Era Is Over
The problems Alonso has encountered did not arise yesterday. Ancelotti's final season clearly showed that it was no longer possible to get by with cosmetic changes. The era of the legendary midfield trio is over, and Real has been forced into a painful period of rebuilding. The coach is being asked to deliver immediate results here and now and at the same time to construct a new spine for the team – tasks that are rarely solved in a matter of months. Sacking a coach who has only just begun a major overhaul would be a simple but highly questionable decision. Sometimes it makes more sense to endure a trophyless season than to hit the reset button yet again and start everything from scratch.
Injuries, Newcomers and Unsolved Defensive Puzzles
An additional blow to the project has come from squad issues. In the summer, Real seriously refreshed its back line: Carreras, Heysen and Trent are three newcomers who need time to adapt to the demands of the Madrid club. At the same time, injuries clipped the team's wings in the very first months: Carvajal and Mendy ended up in the treatment room, and Militao joined them. Against this backdrop, a lack of understanding and mistakes in defense look quite natural. The young Mastantuono and Gonzalo are, for now, more about the future than about immediate reinforcement. Competition for places in the starting XI is extreme, and simply being labelled a "talent" does not automatically make you a ready-made leader.
A Chronic Need for a Natural Center-Forward
Since last season, fans have had the feeling that Los Blancos lack a classic number nine. A Joselu-type striker – powerful, able to battle for aerial balls, capable of finishing crosses and adding presence in the opposition box – is exactly what they are missing. In matches where the ball stubbornly refuses to go in, such a joker can change the script of the game with one or two touches. For now, though, Real often finds itself hostage to combination football without an obvious finishing point.
The Dressing Room Atmosphere and Ancelotti's Shadow
Alonso is also being criticised for the atmosphere: people talk about him being overly distant and keeping too much of a gap between himself and the players. Some sources write of a "chill" in his relationships with the leaders. But after the charismatic Ancelotti, who seemed to embrace the team with his energy, any more reserved coach will inevitably be perceived as colder. It is too easy to blame everything on the coach's character, forgetting that the rebuilding of any big group always comes with friction and growing pains.
Madrid's Hollywood and the Impatient Producer
Real has long been called a Hollywood club: there is always an abundance of stars with oversized egos, difficult personalities and massive expectations. Managing such a collection of characters is hard even for the most experienced coaches. The story of Liverpool, who endured the criticism after a poor season and kept Klopp in charge, is a rare example of patience in modern football. In Madrid things are very different: Florentino Perez is used to thinking in blockbuster rather than arthouse categories. The Madrid public demands instant hits, and the risk of a loud decision being taken as soon as tomorrow always hangs in the air.
Zidane on the Waiting List, but Alonso Hasn't Had the Last Word Yet
It is almost impossible to discuss the Real coaching job without Zinedine Zidane's name coming up. The Frenchman is one of the very few who left the club of his own accord – twice – and on both occasions he left a trophy-filled cabinet behind him. It is only logical that he is seen as a potential saviour in the event of another crisis. But bringing Zidane back right now would mean declaring the Alonso project a failure and denying him even the minimum time needed to implement his ideas.
Xabi took over the team at a very difficult moment – with a worn-out core, sky-high expectations and an unavoidable need for painful reconstruction. He certainly does not deserve to be fired in the heat of the moment after a handful of bad games. If Real truly wants to build a new dominant version of itself, it will need not only a talented coach but also a resource that is rare for this club – patience. And perhaps the main question today is not "game over for Alonso?" but "is Madrid ready to endure the long game it has started itself?".
