Xabi Alonso’s time as Real Madrid head coach is over after just eight months, ending quietly but painfully after defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa final. The club confirmed his exit by mutual consent a day after the 3 to 2 loss in Jeddah. It closes a chapter that began with promise but never fully found stability.
Real Madrid’s statement was brief but emotional. The club stressed Alonso would “always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans” and called him a legend who lived the club’s values. The message was warm, yet it could not hide the reality of a ruthless decision at one of football’s most demanding institutions.
Alonso arrived last summer as one of the most admired young coaches in Europe. His work at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to their first Bundesliga title in 2024, marked him out as a natural successor to Carlo Ancelotti. Madrid believed they were hiring a modern thinker with deep roots at the club.
The early signs were positive. Madrid stormed through the opening weeks of the 2025 to 26 season with 13 wins from 14 games in all competitions. A 2 to 1 Clásico win over Barcelona suggested Alonso had found the right balance between control and intensity.
Then came the wobble. A poor run before Christmas saw Madrid win just two of eight matches, with damaging defeats to Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Manchester City. Pressure built fast, as it always does in Madrid, even though results improved again with five straight wins before the Supercopa final.
Sunday’s defeat to Barcelona proved decisive. The loss left Madrid trailing their rivals by four points in La Liga and without silverware in the Super Cup. In a club where trophies define patience, that moment tipped the scales.
Alonso’s connection to Madrid made the exit feel heavier. As a player between 2009 and 2014, he won the Champions League, La Liga and two Copa del Rey titles. He embodied calm authority in midfield, and many hoped that same presence would translate to the dugout.
There were glimpses of that identity. Madrid reached the Club World Cup semi finals last summer before losing heavily to Paris Saint Germain. The football was structured and brave, but consistency never followed.
Now the baton passes to Álvaro Arbeloa. A former teammate of Alonso and a trusted figure at the club, Arbeloa steps up from Castilla after years in the youth system. His appointment signals continuity, but also urgency.
For Alonso, this is not an ending that erases his reputation. It is a reminder that Real Madrid offers no learning curve. Even legends must deliver instantly, or step aside.
