Alonso’s swift Real exit: What went wrong?

Xabi Alonso departed Real Madrid saying he was “grateful to the club, players and fans”, but the outcome appeared inevitable, waiting for it to be triggered by another fall.

That moment arrived on Sunday, when Real lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah -- a narrow defeat that was enough to end the reign of a coach appointed just seven and a half months earlier.

Even the scenes after the final whistle seemed to reflect the brevity and tension of Alonso’s tenure at one of the most demanding clubs in the world, where the names on the team sheet often carry greater weight than the coach himself.

Kylian Mbappe, the club’s top scorer last season and again so far this term, was seen gesturing to his teammates to head straight down the tunnel instead of offering Barcelona the traditional guard of honour at the King Abdullah Sports City. Alonso appeared to urge him to stay, but eventually relented as Real left the pitch without any sporting gesture to their archrivals, who lead second-placed Los Blancos by four points in LaLiga.

The episode underlined the growing perception that Alonso did not have total control of the dressing room, as reports suggested a rift between him and several of the top players.

Speculation about his future had been rife since Real endured a turbulent spell towards the end of 2025, when they lost three, drew three, and won only two of eight matches. The team later recovered with five consecutive victories, including a Spanish Super Cup semifinal win over Atletico Madrid, before falling to Barcelona in the final.

Alonso had been backed with new signings after taking charge, yet a long list of injuries complicated his task -- a familiar challenge in recent times due to a congested football calendar.

The former Real midfielder was also unable to fully replicate the high-pressing, high-tempo style that had brought him success at Bayer Leverkusen. His players struggled to meet the demands of that system, a factor that ultimately contributed to his departure.

In pure numbers, Alonso’s Real recorded 24 wins, six defeats, and four draws from 34 matches -- a return that would not normally prompt such a swift exit, were it not for the wider issues that continued to work against him.