The sacking of Xavi Alonso as the manager of Real Madrid has not come as a surprise, not least for Madridistas, the fans of the Spanish football giants.
The club announced on Monday that Alonso had left his role “by mutual consent”, with Alvaro Arbeloa promoted from coaching the club’s reserve team to replace him.
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Alonso, 44, lasted less than a year into the three-year contract he signed last summer to replace Carlo Ancelotti.
While the club announced his exit after he had just seven months in charge of the star-studded team, fans and local football experts could foresee this outcome.
Here’s how Alonso’s reign unfolded and why he was sacked by Real Madrid:
What went wrong during Alonso’s time at Real Madrid?
Seasoned watchers of the Los Blancos believe that despite being a club legend, Alonso committed a number of “cardinal sins” that could not protect him from the wrath of Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez.
“Alonso stands condemned in the eyes of Perez – the only person whose opinion matters when a coach’s fate is concerned – of several offences,” according to Graham Hunter, an expert on Spanish football.
Chief among these was Real Madrid’s 3-2 loss to archrivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. In the eyes of the all-powerful Perez, missing out on silverware and that, too, against Barca was too big a mistake to let slip.
“Losing to Barcelona in a big final remains, it seems, a capital offence,” Hunter said.
Add to this a patchy run, by Real Madrid’s standards, in La Liga, including a 5-2 thrashing in the Madrid derby, draws against three lower-ranked teams, and a home loss to Celta Vigo.
Trouble had been brewing for Alonso over the past few months, with a UEFA Champions League defeat at Liverpool setting off a run of only two victories in eight games.
This slump affected Madrid’s standing on top of the La Liga table, turning their five-point lead over Barcelona into a four-point deficit.
Real Madrid’s results did improve more recently, but performances did not convince the management. The team beat Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup semifinal despite being outplayed, only to lose in the final.
“When Real Madrid dropped points against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, and then lost at home to Celta and Manchester City, there was a massive manhunt mounted by the club and by the media to find someone to blame,” Hunter explained.
“The coach, correctly or not, was found guilty.”
In addition to the results, the fact that Alonso very publicly fell out with star forward Vinicius Junior didn’t help his case.
All of these factors combined to seal the fate of the football manager.
How did Alonso perform as Real Madrid manager?
The former midfielder was welcomed amid fanfare at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in May 2025 after signing a contract to stay until 2028.
Regarded as a modern strategist, he came with an impressive pedigree, having steered German football giants Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga victory, a German Cup triumph, and a UEFA Europa League final appearance.
Alosno’s first real test was the FIFA Club World Cup, where Real Madrid were beaten 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal in July. Despite Alonso’s insistence that he would not implement his coaching style until the beginning of the new (2025-26) La Liga season, it was a clear sign of the vast difference between the club he had previously coached and the Spanish giants.
During the summer, Alonso’s signing targets never materialised, with Martin Zubimendi choosing Arsenal over Real Madrid.
When the La Liga season began, Alonso started off well with a series of victories, including a 2-1 Clasico victory over Barcelona in October. But soon, a rot started to set in and resulted in defeats to Celta Vigo and Manchester City.
What was the Alonso vs Vinicius Junior saga?
The row began during the El Clasico win when Vinicius Junior stormed off the pitch after being substituted by the manager in the 71st minute. The striker issued an apology later, but it was not directed towards Alonso.
Spain-based football expert Hunter believes the coach was not backed up by the club’s management in the aftermath of the row as they saw the Brazilian as a prized possession.
Club president Perez, in particular, has been keen to retain Vinicius on the club’s books.
“Damage was done to Alonso’s public reputation and club credibility during the Vinicius Junior saga as the player erupted in petulant anger while showing complete disrespect for his manager,” Hunter said.
“He [Vinicius Junior ] said he wanted to leave the club. Perez wanted Vinicius Junior to renew his contract. It is now clear that this did irreparable damage to Perez’s view of the coach.”
Hence, Alonso became the 10th Real Madrid manager to be sacked during Perez’s reign and that, too, without completing a full year in charge.
What did Alonso say after leaving Real Madrid?
Alonso has said he was leaving the club with “gratitude, respect and pride” despite his sacking.
“This stage of my career has come to an end, and it has not turned out as we would have liked. Coaching Real Madrid has been an honour and a responsibility,” Alonso wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
“I am grateful to the club, the players and, above all, the fans … I leave with respect, gratitude and pride in having done my best.”
Who is the new Real Madrid coach, Alvaro Arbeloa?
Alonso has been replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, a former Real Madrid right-back who made 238 appearances across seven years with the club.
Arbeloa has been managing the club’s B team, Real Madrid Castilla, since June 2025 and coaching the youth academy since 2020.
His lack of coaching experience at the highest level has been a talking point in Madrid.
Football journalist Lorenzo Calonge, writing in Spanish newspaper El Pais, noted on Tuesday that Arbeloa had been a probable successor to Alonso for some time.
“Since Xabi Alonso began teetering on the brink a month ago, Arbeloa’s name has been the leading candidate to take over the reins at Real Madrid, should [Alonso] be dismissed,” he said.
“His coaching career is short [five and a half seasons], and he has always been within the Real Madrid training complex. He has never managed a senior or professional team, nor has he worked outside of Valdebebas [training ground].”
However, what Arbeloa lacks in terms of experience as a professional manager, he makes up for as a player. The 42-year-old started his top-flight career with Real Madrid before spending two seasons with Liverpool between 2007 and 2009.
Arbeloa returned to Los Blancos and was at the club during one of the most successful periods in their history – between 2009 and 2016 – and won two Champions League trophies.
The reliable backline player was also in the Spanish squad that won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships, making 56 international appearances.
Football expert Hunter believes Arbeloa’s temperament may not go down well with some of the highly strung stars at the Bernabeu.
“The trouble with Arbeloa, is that he is blunt to the point of resembling a carpenter’s hammer. He’s unforgiving, unrelenting and completely unafraid of incurring anybody else’s displeasure or disapproval.”
