Pressure rises before the City showdown
Xabi Alonso’s future at Real Madrid remains undecided, yet Wednesday’s Champions League match against Manchester City could define it. Fans grow impatient and booed the team after Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo, prompting an emergency meeting about Alonso’s position. Real sit four points behind Barcelona and have won only one of their last five league games. The dramatic slump since the October win over Barcelona now leaves Alonso’s survival chances very thin.
Alonso arrived in the summer with a modern plan, but the club still resists this necessary shift. President Florentino Pérez never fully trusts such innovation, even after advisers pushed him to appoint Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui and Alonso. Once doubts appear or players lose faith, Pérez reacts quickly because he believes past success came with less interventionist coaches like Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane.
A vision that meets internal resistance
When Alonso joined Bayer Leverkusen, he asked for release if a former club approached him and he wanted the job. He later added Manchester City to that list as a possible successor to Guardiola. Ironically, Guardiola could now leave him without work.
Real’s return to the Bernabeu after six away matches exposed all current flaws. Good moments existed but the main issue was the poor link between Alonso’s idea and the players’ execution. The squad does not seem to fully trust the plan. Dressing-room scenes after the loss showed pure frustration with thrown objects and raised voices. Any attempt to blame the referee got dismissed at once as a weak excuse.
Alonso swore at Fran Garcia after his red card and criticised the referee in his press conference. He insisted it still did not justify the defeat. The most alarming moment came when he said the team ignored planned ideas like higher tempo and pressing. Those words echoed Ancelotti’s earlier warnings.
The second worrying sign came when decision-makers stayed for hours behind closed doors to analyse the loss. That never suggests stability.
A team without rhythm or belief
Alonso raised expectations by promising “rock and roll” football. He wanted an aggressive press, fast attacks and players with bold personality. Yet he underestimated how hard it is to make a squad think as one. Ancelotti had warned him that ideas prepared during the week often vanished on the pitch.
Ancelotti privately admitted this dressing room was the hardest of his career due to conflicting interests. Mbappé focuses on records, Vinicius wants to protect his influence and Valverde longs for a midfield role without full captain’s maturity.
Before the Liverpool match, executives praised Alonso’s modernising work. He had just beaten Barcelona and won 13 of 14 games. But the defeat at Anfield and draws against Rayo and Elche triggered relentless pressure. Reports emerged about too many videos and excessive demands, painting Alonso as a coach who wanted robotic players. The usual clash between structured methodology and instinctive stars followed.
Problems kept growing. Alonso expected Jude Bellingham to help his system because English players often follow the team idea. Yet Bellingham works best as a second forward. As a midfielder he adapts but plays below his desired impact, causing frustration. Alonso also wanted Martin Zubimendi because he believes Real lack a midfielder who brings rhythm and structure. Instead he works with dynamic runners who prefer transitions over patient positional play. Arda Güler tries to guide the team but plays more like a forward than a playmaker.
If Mbappé does not score, the team rarely scores. Vinicius has gone 11 games without a goal and Rodrygo 33. Injuries, especially in defence, forced Alonso to use 20 different line-ups in 21 matches. Eder Militao became the latest casualty with a torn hamstring that will sideline him for up to four months.
Authority questions and shrinking support
Trouble may have peaked when Vinicius reacted angrily to being substituted in the Clásico. That moment challenged Alonso’s authority and remained unresolved. The club did not protect him and Vinicius did not mention him in his apology. Recovering from that always looked hard.
When journalists arrive with one message about an uncertain future, that message usually comes from the top and gains support inside the dressing room. After recent results, talks followed between Alonso and the players and between Alonso and Pérez. Alonso made decisions to please the squad while still trying to add layers to the team’s understanding. He wanted better pressing, stronger attacks against deep blocks and more control.
Sunday’s loss to Celta ended the fans’ early goodwill. Polls show supporters also blame players for lacking effort. Celta’s coach Claudio Giraldez said Real become dangerous when they press well. Real do not apply that with conviction, which signals a team that doubts the path.
Giraldez also said Real are evolving, yet nobody listens. Alonso still believes he can find solutions. The media now portray him as overwhelmed by events. That usually means the club shares that view, even when it might not reflect reality.
At Real Madrid, you move from crisis to paradise and back within two matches. This makes Wednesday far more than a normal game. If Alonso leaves soon, Real may try again to bring Zidane back, while former defender and B-team coach Alvaro Arbeloa also stands as a candidate.
