Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has insisted that his team "never gave up" against Elche, with the Spaniard standing strong amid the recent speculation surrounding his future at Bernabeu.
Los Blancos are on a three-game winless run in all competitions, losing 1-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League before drawing back-to-back La Liga games against Rayo Vallecano and Elche.
Real Madrid remain top of the La Liga table, one point clear of second-placed Barcelona, but they needed a late leveller from Jude Bellingham to draw 2-2 with Elche on Sunday.
Alonso's future is currently the subject of debate, with members of the dressing room thought to be losing faith in him.
Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Endrick are among those said to have serious concerns, and if the poor run continues, president Florentino Perez could have a huge decision to make.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso on September 27, 2025
Alonso: 'Real Madrid never gave up'
However, Alonso had no concerns over the application of his players against Elche.
“That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward," Alonso told reporters during his post-match press conference.
“We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.
“The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity.
"This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.
Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid on November 23, 2025
Alonso: 'Everyone is pulling in the same direction'
“The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction.
"We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.
"I analyse everything after the games. I try to draw conclusions with the coaching staff and convey to the players what we're doing well and what we need to improve.
"Today I felt we lacked that continuity after making it 1-1 and going 2-1 down. It hurt us a little, but despite that we came back. In the first half, the game was working in our favour to put us ahead, even though we didn't manage it."
Real Madrid are currently preparing for Wednesday's Champions League clash against Olympiacos, with the Spanish giants eyeing their fourth success in the league phase of this season's competition
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