Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso “thinks he’s Pep Guardiola” and has upset some of his players with his ‘distant’ and ‘rigid’ approach to management, according to reports.
That is according to The Athletic, who provided analysis on Alonso’s first months as Los Blancos boss after replacing Carlo Ancelotti in June.
Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid: Key details
- Vinicius Jr has only played the full 90 minutes three times in 2025/26
- Arda Guler has become an important player in Alonso’s midfield
- Only defeat all season came against city rivals Atletico, losing 5-2 in La Liga
- Kylian Mbappe has 16 goals in 13 games this season
Replacing legendary manager Ancelotti was always going to be tricky, but Alonso was always the man Real Madrid wanted for the job.
Ancelotti’s laid-back approach on the training ground helped create a positive atmosphere around the club, and his attacking philosophy allowed players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham to express themselves.
Alonso commands similar respect due to his success as a manager at Bayer Leverkusen, but more importantly, his playing career.
The 43-year-old was managed by Ancelotti during spells with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, winning 14 trophies in his club career, including the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool.
The 2003 Spanish Player of the Year also won the World Cup and two European Championship titles with his country.
Madrid supporters know he’s a legend of the game, but that doesn’t necessarily take any pressure off or buy him more time than anyone else.
Furthermore, with player power only getting stronger and Madrid boasting some of the biggest players in the world, Alonso has to convince his squad that he’s the man, which comes from his in-game management, training regimes, and how he communicates on a personal and coaching level.
Real Madrid players feel ‘disrespected’ by ‘distant’ Alonso
The article from The Athletic lifts the lid on Alonso’s methods at the Bernabeu. While there are some positives, especially on the results front, he has reportedly unsettled several players.
It’s claimed that there have been ‘growing tensions between Alonso and some of the squad’, with first-team stars ‘unhappy with his management and the way he has imposed several important changes since arriving in the summer’.
Alonso has taken a ‘more demanding and rigid approach to the team’s style’, as well as ‘distant and unapproachable’, which are two opposites to life under ex-boss Ancelotti, who was ‘very popular’, resulting in some players feeling ‘disrespected and dissatisfied’.
The Athletic are fortunate enough to have contacts at the club and there are some cracking quotes from them. They, of course, remain anonymous to protect relationships.
“Xabi has tried to guarantee more discipline and order in the day-to-day, with control of schedules, more work in the gym at the prevention level, and group and individual video sessions.”
“Some of them have won so much without doing these things that when these have been imposed on them, they have complained. It’s no secret, some cases have been public. It’s normal, especially with those who were untouchable.”
“Gone from having a coach who was hardly involved in training sessions to one who seems like just another player.”
“He thinks he’s Pep Guardiola, but for now he’s just Xabi.”
So, Madrid players can’t get away with anything under this jobsworth, and they don’t like it.
And if the players buy what Alonso is selling and they continue winning football matches, he might become Pep Guardiola.
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Vinicius Jr ignoring Xabi Alonso in El Clasico apology was no oversight
One of the players upset with Alonso is Vinicius, who stormed off the pitch when his number was up in Sunday’s Clasico win over arch-rivals Barcelona.
He asked, “Me?” five times after seeing Rodrygo waiting to replace him. “Always me. I’m leaving the team, it’s better if I leave, I’m leaving,” the 25-year-old said as he went straight down the tunnel, ignoring Alonso, who ignored the Brazilian.
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On Wednesday, Vinicius issued an apology to his “team-mates, the club, and the president,” but not Alonso.
“Today I want to apologise to all the Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clasico. Just as I have already done in person during today’s training, I also want to apologise again to my team-mates, the club, and the president.”
As The Athletic said, it’s clear that Vinicius meant to omit his manager from the statement. To summarise, it was ‘a necessary apology and a pointed omission’.
