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Former Liverpool man Xabi Alonso is coming under increasing pressure as Real Madrid manager
Sunday night’s shocking 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo has emerged as a watershed moment for Alonso’s brief managerial reign at Los Blancos.
The result, which saw Real Madrid finish with just nine men after red cards to Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, left them four points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga.
Just over a month ago, following their El Clásico victory over Barcelona on October 26, Madrid sat comfortably at the top with a five-point cushion.
Despite winning 15 of his 21 matches in charge, Real Madrid has managed just one victory in their last five league games.
The team has dropped nine points in recent weeks, transforming a commanding position at the summit into a four-point deficit behind their arch-rivals.
Perhaps most worrying for the club’s hierarchy is the manner of these setbacks – Madrid appears to lack resilience, consistently failing to respond after falling behind.
As a result, there has been increasing chatter about Alonso’s future at the club from reporters in Spain.
The Athletic has already reported that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, general director José Ángel Sánchez and other leading figures at the club have held internal talks over the situation.
Alonso’s job is thought to be at serious risk if Madrid are beaten by Manchester City in the Champions League this week.
Although the hierarchy remains eager to back Alonso’s long-term project, results will ultimately dictate his fate at a club where the pressure to win is relentless.
But rather interestingly, Athletic reporter Mario Cortegana has also reported that ex-Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa is a legitimate name that could replace Alonso:
“Madrid have a shortlist of candidates in case they decide to part ways with Alonso, with Alvaro Arbeloa highly regarded for the position.”
“The former Liverpool and Madrid defender is in charge of Madrid’s reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, who play in Spain’s third tier.”
Arbeloa spent two-and-a-half seasons at Anfield between 2007 and 2009, managing to rack up almost 100 appearances for the club.
He first returned to Madrid in 2020 to work with the youth sides, starting with the under-14s before earning promotion to take charge of the highly rated Juvenil A team.
In May 2025 he was handed his biggest role yet as he replaced Raúl as head coach of Real Madrid Castilla.
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