By JACK GAUGHAN
Published: 07:03 EST, 9 December 2025 | Updated: 07:03 EST, 9 December 2025
Once Xabi Alonso had been whisked away from the glare, through a door hanging a banner listing every single bit of silverware won across Real Madrid’s storied history, the club’s television channel cut to highlights of a Champions League final.
Presumably that was a bid to lift the spirits of their watching public, bruised by the tempestuous 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo on Sunday.
The final of choice was 2022. Liverpool in Paris. Vinicius Junior. Simpler times, before this manager rocked up with his new-fangled ideas of running and playing as a collective.
There were perhaps more suitable matches to choose given the circumstances. Alonso’s appearance in front of the cameras – his first since a swirl of suggestions that losing against Manchester City on Wednesday could seal his fate as manager – had been so dry to the point of lacking any moment of note until asked about a potential Premier League return in the future.
Liverpool wasn’t directly put to him but it didn’t take a genius to work out where the conversation was headed. ‘For sure,’ he said. ‘Of course there is a bond with my former club, but for now this is my place. In future you never know what might happen.’
Former club – for whom he played on 210 occasions – was mentioned unprompted. It was one of only a couple of occasions during a short media briefing when Alonso showed any semblance of emotion. The other was when he challenged the wisdom of bringing up a substitution he’d made against Barcelona over a month ago.
Real Madrid slumped to a humiliating 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu on Sunday evening
The result heaped pressure on to struggling Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso, whose side sit four points adrift of Barcelona
Speaking to reporters post-match, the Spaniard didn't rule out a possible return to Liverpool in the future
He’d battened down the hatches, ducked every inquisitor. Does he feel lonely? You have to be ready for these situations as Real Madrid coach. What about the raft of replacements – including reserve team coach Alvaro Arbeloa and former boss Zinedine Zidane – being talked about? When you’re the coach of Real you need to be ready to face situations. Does he feel supported by the club? Yes.
This might have been a frenzy, City walking headfirst into a dramatic national tragedy (two wins in seven for Real), yet Alonso gave nothing up. He knows that Florentino Perez was holding summit meetings until the early hours of Monday morning about his future. He’s not exactly chummy with Vinicius and a fair few others. There are rumblings about demanding too much of a talented squad previously left to their own devices.
All of this internal wrangling is building a picture of a coach who Real weren’t ready for. They wanted modernisation and change but the very best players at their disposal don’t seem to fancy that much. One of them, Kylian Mbappe did not train on Tuesday and has scored 10 of Real’s last 16 goals. Alonso is also without seven defenders and had 18 outfielders available in the pre-match session.
In time, if he is afforded it, Alonso might think all of this isn’t or wasn’t quite worth the hassle. He’d had discussions with Liverpool before, when they eventually appointed Arne Slot, while City themselves are known to have studied his methods. As it is, Pep Guardiola – enemy No 1 in these parts – could be the man who ends the reign of his own disciple, from their days together at Bayern Munich.
‘We have unity,’ Alonso said, in sentences that feel tricky to fully get on board with. ‘We’re together. I have a good relationship with (the hierarchy). Of course people are upset.’
It is unquestionable that Real lost control at the Bernabeu on Sunday night, Alonso apoplectic with Fran Garcia for his sending-off against Celta. Former Manchester United left back Alvaro Carreras also saw red for dissent, an unusually emotional Alonso insisting the referee was ‘looking for it’.
The injured Dani Carvajal, dressed as if he was whipping up a Manhattan, waited menacingly in the tunnel for the officials. Endrick was sent off without coming on. Jude Bellingham screamed ‘you’re a f***ing idiot’ at the fourth official.
The headlines in Monday’s newspapers were a mess and an embarrassment for Perez. ‘Madrid are lost’ read one, accompanied by an insider: ‘Los Blancos - state of crisis.’ Another said: ‘The worst version of Madrid.’
It could be Pep Guardiola, Alonso's mentor at Bayern Munich, who puts the nail in the coffin of his Madrid career on Wednesday evening
Los Blancos could be without their talisman Kylian Mbappe for the clash after he missed training on Monday
There are many here who believe that Alonso’s race is run, that he cannot turn relationships with key members of the team. There is confusion at how positive signs through the Club World Cup and earlier in the season – more intense pressing and a tactical shape mirroring Europe’s other giants – have vanished.
Alonso is said to have ceded some principles in the hope of keeping the peace but that largely only serves to undermine a leader.
‘We want to put pressure on our rival,’ Aurelien Tchouameni said. ‘Sometimes we do it well and sometimes we do it terribly. Against Celta, I’m sure the coach had a good strategy but it’s us on the pitch. It was our problem. We shouldn’t blame the coach. We need to improve and we will.
‘If we want to win games we have to fight with the coach in the same direction. It (City) is a good opportunity to change the dynamic a little bit.’
Alonso repeated the idea of an opportunity too, although those in the Spanish capital now believe Real’s board are more likely to take theirs before the team.