Real Madrid: Why did Xabi Alonso’s reign as technical director end?

After several disagreements with their manager over tactics and approach over the past few months, at around 4.30pm Spanish time on Monday, the board met with one topic on the table – the departure of Xabi Alonso.

The explanations given to him and his entourage were ambiguous at best.

“He wasn’t able to execute the football that made him so successful at Bayer Leverkusen.” “The team’s physical condition was not ideal.” “The players have not improved.” “They don’t seem to be playing with him.”

Defeats are listed: Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals, and Atletico Madrid in La Liga (5-2), among others.

However, Real Madrid are in the top eight in the Champions League stage, which is the competition that defines them.

They have qualified for the next round of the Copa del Rey and are four points behind Barcelona at the halfway stage of La Liga, having beaten the Catalans when they met in October. calamity?

More than just a crisis, it was confirmation that Florentino Pérez never trusted his manager.

Xabi Alonso was proposed to him and he agreed to be appointed new club president, but without conviction. At his former club Bayer Leverkusen, not everyone bought into Xavi from day one either.

The results arrived and the team headed towards him. In Madrid, even with good results, this never happened. From the beginning, Xavi felt alone.

Starting a managerial career at Real Madrid is the toughest challenge in football. No one says no to Madrid, not even those who understand how difficult it is to transform a culture built on individual genius into a modern collectivism where everyone is pushing and everyone is defending.

The coach is stronger when he arrives, but Real Madrid weakened his authority from the beginning.

He wanted to start his term after the Club World Cup, not before. The tournament was held after a long season, with players thinking about the holidays while others knew they wouldn’t be there the following year. He was not even allowed to discuss the matter.

These signings did not help much: Franco Mastantuno, promoted by some media as the anti-Lamin Yamal, had no real impact.

Vinicius Junior’s crisis was the beginning of the end, as his level declined and he blamed the new coach, then clearly protested against his replacement in El Clásico, then apologized to everyone except the coach.

Contract talks have been paused to find out what happened with Xavi.

Injuries plagued the defense, while the club ignored his request to sign a midfielder (it wanted Martin Zobimendi).

There were no strong personalities binding the group together. Even Federico Valverde seemed more concerned with where he was playing than with the team.

Mbappe chased records, which was not always what he needed to recover from his latest injury, as he played to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s 59 goals in a single calendar year.

Xavi was never able to convince the players that his way was the right one. Without this, he was unable to impose the high pressing, tempo and positional football that characterized Leverkusen.

So what now?

He must decide whether or not relief is what comes next. Those who know him believe that leaving, although unwanted, would be of some relief. It simply didn’t work.

But the message from the biggest European clubs is clear, as many will be happy to have him next season, if circumstances allow.

Once again, Real Madrid is seen as an outlier, a club that operates differently, restricting its manager, and even quietly paving the way for the club’s sacking months before it happens, with the help of a loyal media.

Next in line is Alvaro Arbeloa, Castilla’s reserve coach. Club man. But if a legend like Xabi Alonso cannot change the culture, Arbeloa faces an almost impossible task.

If this season ends without a trophy, the European elite will feel confident in their belief. If, due to one of football’s familiar paradoxes, Real Madrid succeed in lifting titles, we will reach the same result we always reach.

That some managers suit certain clubs. Some clubs refuse to manage it at all.