The Athletic has revealed the names of three players who, in one way or another, pressured Real Madrid’s management to sack Xabi Alonso as coach.
It’s well known that Alonso’s relationship with several Real Madrid players was strained, as a number of them failed to adapt to his ideas and methods, which differed significantly from those of Carlo Ancelotti.
The first to struggle under Alonso, to the point of threatening to leave the Santiago Bernabéu, was Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian fundamentally disagreed with the coach, particularly regarding his position and how he was treated. He made renewing his contract, which expires in the summer of 2027, contingent on the Basque coach leaving the Spanish capital.
Jude Bellingham also never got along with Alonso, believing that he wasted his potential by being placed in a different midfield position that demanded more defensive effort, ultimately impacting his performance.
The third name was Fede Valverde, who made no secret of his dissatisfaction with being deployed at right-back. It’s said he even went to Florentino Pérez himself and demanded Alonso’s dismissal, warning that otherwise, things would get much worse at Valdebebas.
Perhaps the scene of Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo refusing Alonso’s orders to form a guard of honor for Barcelona after their Spanish Super Cup victory highlighted that the coach’s crisis wasn’t just with the trio, but rather a clear failure to control a dressing room packed with star players.
Real Madrid now hopes that Arbeloa can restore calm to the dressing room and win over the players angered by Alonso, hoping to salvage the season and avoid another trophyless campaign like Carlo Ancelotti’s last.
