Real Madrid have had a dismal season, and it took another turn for the worse earlier this week when Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde came to blows, which resulted in the latter having to be hospitalised. There had been much promise last summer when Xabi Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti, but that seems a lifetime away now.
When Alonso came in from Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid had hoped he would be able to get the better of Barcelona in La Liga, while also mounting the charge for a 16th Champions League title. And while he did win his first Clasico 2-1 at the Bernabeu, defeat to the Catalans in the Spanish Super Cup final spelled the end of his spell in charge, as he agreed to leave via mutual consent days later.
Alonso rejected the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich before taking over at Real Madrid in 2025, but according to Cadena SER, he now regrets that decision. Looking back, his belief is that it was not the right time for him to return to the Bernabeu as manager, and he sees the situation that has unfolded this season as proof of that.
Alonso’s exit was catalyst for Real Madrid divide
The recent well-documented tensions at Real Madrid, which culminated in this week’s incident involving Tchouameni and Valverde, started when Alonso left the club in January. A number of players were not happy with the decision to part ways with the 44-year-old, while others were glad to see the back of him.
In the future, there could come a time when Alonso sees it fit to return to Real Madrid, but for now, that ship has sailed. He is already thinking about his next job, which he could take up this summer – another of his former clubs in Liverpool could have a vacancy ready for him, should they decide to dispense with Arne Slot.
