Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is facing his first major test at the Santiago Bernabéu, amid serious doubts about the squad’s harmony and, in particular, his relationship with the players. Los Blancos have failed to win their last three matches, and the current situation is doing little to strengthen Alonso’s position.
In recent months, numerous reports from the Spanish capital have pointed to issues with Alonso’s management, as well as open expressions of frustration within the squad. Vinicius Junior’s outburst during El Clásico and the benching of Fede Valverde — after he had made it clear that he did not feel comfortable playing as a right-back — appeared to be symptoms of this tension.
According to Cadena SER, three of Real Madrid’s star players have a “cold” relationship with Alonso. Vinicius’ ultimatum to the club regarding the coaching situation is a clear sign of his dissatisfaction, while Valverde is another evident source of frustration. He believes he should be the core of Real Madrid’s midfield, but Alonso does not view him as a central midfielder and prefers using him as a right-back, deploying Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler in midfield instead.
Bellingham is also unhappy with Alonso. The English midfielder feels he has not found his rhythm in the coach’s system, and although he has shown flashes of his talent, he believes Alonso is not getting the best out of him. Cadena Cope adds Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz, Endrick Felipe and Ferland Mendy to the list of players dissatisfied with Alonso, in their case mainly due to lack of playing time.
