Xabi Alonso reportedly resigned as Real Madrid manager because the players, led by Kylian Mbappé, undermined his authority after the Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona by refusing to give their Clasico rivals a guard of honour.
This revelation has brought a lot of criticism for the players, especially from the Barcelona corner and neutrals, but Real Madrid faithfuls remain divided on the matter, as some see Xabi Alonso as clueless, while others join the non-Madridistas in calling Kylian Mbappé and co. classless.
Yet as Real Madrid’s crisis deepens, it is more to Barcelona’s delight, and the fact that a discussion regarding the Catalan giants was the cause of the recent turmoil at the camp of their fiercest rival, those at Camp Nou couldn’t be any happier.
For Xabi Alonso and those who feel for him, it is betrayal from his own players, but for the players and those who share their plight, a guard of honour to Barcelona would be a betrayal of the Real Madrid badge, especially in the current state of their relationship.
Why are Real Madrid and Barcelona at loggerheads?
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup with a relationship termed as never to be fixed, with both club presidents also snubbing each other at the pre-match gathering as probe into the Negreira case intensify.
In the buildup to the final match in Jeddah, Barcelona President Joan Laporta sent shockwaves through the footballing world by declaring that institutional relations with Real Madrid are completely broken.
The collapse of the long-standing institutional truce centers on the fallout from the Negreira case. Laporta cited Real Madrid’s decision to join the legal proceedings against Barcelona as a primary cause, coupled with unacceptable public comments from Madrid President Florentino Pérez, who labeled the situation the biggest scandal in world football history.
The tension was further exacerbated by Real Madrid’s aggressive pursuit of legal action while Barcelona attempted to pivot away from the joint European Super League project.
While the Barcelona president left the door open for future reconciliation, he emphasized that the current rift is a deep-seated structural divide that transcends the sporting rivalry.
Xabi Alonso: The Clueless
It would be naive of anyone who chose to believe Kylian Mbappé ordered the players against the guard of honour, because knowing the level of personal ego in the Real Madrid dressing room, not one player will give such an order and all will follow. Especially not the other big three.
All the players chose not to give the guard of honour; Kylian Mbappé only fronted what was agreed, hence the players understood their roles.If Xabi Alonso felt Real Madrid players not giving the guard of honour was an insult to his authority, then maybe he has never had one at the club, because this topic, especially with the club involved, should not have caused so much drama.
He may look the hero to the neutrals, but for those who are very faithful to Real Madrid, deserting the club for this reason seems more like a betrayal, and he would be clueless if he thinks it was right that the players do (give the guard of honour).
In addition, Xabi Alonso is clueless if he believes he was ever going to have a supreme authority over players at a star-studded club like Real Madrid. He may have proven himself as a good coach at Bayer Leverkusen, but it certainly takes more at a club like Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé and co.: The Classless
Kylian Mbappé, as well as his Madrid teammates, are serial winners and could have swallowed their pride then. Their behavior gave them away as classless, and it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, especially as Barcelona continues to dominate them.
In a locker room often rumored to be divided, the squad found rare, misguided unity in defying their manager’s direct orders to show respect during the ceremony.
By choosing collective ego over professional conduct, the players have invited a reputation for being sore losers, proving that while they may be world-class talents, they fell short of being world-class sportsmen.
Nevertheless, in their defence, whether Barcelona deserved the guard of honour is worth considering. Especially from Real Madrid, the club whom their teenager Lamine Yamal insulted a few months back, without the club reprimanding him.
Real Madrid and Barcelona’s rivalries will continue, as it had been in the past. However, as long as issues off the pitch continue to linger, more dramatic scenes like the one in Jeddah will not end.
That time, it was Real Madrid, and next time, it may be Barcelona.
What next for Xabi Alonso?
Xabi Alonso’s era was short and unconvincing. The club suffered embarrassing defeats to PSG in the Club World Cup and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, the latter of which was the first time they conceded five in the derby in 75 years.
Although with 22 wins in 31 games, he departed with a 72 percent win rate, an average better than previous managers like Rafa Benitez, Julen Lopetegui, and Zinedine Zidane’s second stint, he was the only Real Madrid manager to manage 30+ games and not win a trophy since Lopetegui in 2018.
With his Bayer Leverkusen reputation, he is expected to receive offers from top clubs in need of coaches, and wouldn’t be out of a job for too long if he wishes to return sooner rather than later.
His Real Madrid stint might be a failure, but he has learnt a lesson he didn’t have at Leverkusen, which is that managing high-maintenance players requires more than tactical brilliance.
What next for Real Madrid?
Xabi Alonso’s resignation was not planned, it was sudden, and the club had to respond. However, after the Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Albecete during the week, it has so far not appeared that they’ve made the best decision, and Alvaro Arbeloa’s days might just have a few numbers.
Real Madrid have the potential to land the best managers in the world, but at this stage of their season, decisions have to be carefully made.
They currently sit four points behind Barcelona in the league and are well poised for a top-eight finish in the Champions League league phase. Keeping their shape will be a priority in the coming weeks, because they’ll be decisive come May.
Every game counts, and they may be in for another desperate move if Arbeloa does not start to prove himself capable as early as now.
But as for the awkward reasons for Xabi Alonso’s departure, it portrays the former midfielder as clueless, and the players as classless.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
