One Decision By Xabi Alonso That Could Have Cost Him His Real Madrid Job
Not even 24 hours after the Spanish Super Cup final loss to Barcelona, Real Madrid are searching for a new head coach. A club statement announced that Xabi Alonso was stepping down as head coach, a mutual agreement between the parties.
Los Blancos have appointed Castilla head coach Alvaro Arbeloa in temporary charge. It's uncertain whether he will continue until the end of the season, but he could if the hierarchy can't find a replacement at this stage.
There has been talk that Alonso was on the brink, but it did not feel like the day after the loss to Barcelona was the time. Real Madrid played well enough against their rivals to believe that it would not be just yet.
Looking closely at the last 48 hours, there may be one reason, among others, that cost Alonso his job.
Kylian Mbappe decision could have been the end
The results have been better since the loss to Barcelona, winning five in a row. That included the semi-final against Atletico Madrid, though the performance was not at its best. However, one of Alonso's decisions may not have gone down well.
Kylian Mbappe travelled to Jeddah after the semi-final win, despite reports saying he was not ready. He proved his fitness back in Madrid and then flew out for further assessment. He passed that the day before the game and was ready to be a part of the game.
The Frenchman started on the bench, which was not a massive problem. Given he had missed the last two games and was rushed back, playing an important part in the second half was what many fans expected. However, he came on in the 76th minute, playing just 14 minutes of the game.
The fact that the 27-year-old has traveled 6,703 km to play just 14 minutes feels like a major problem. There was also footage potentially showing Mbappe refusing to form a guard of honor for Barcelona after the win, something Alonso appeared to ask the team to do.
If that is the case, Alonso has clashed with two of the club's more important players, Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian clashed with Alonso in the first El Clasico, funnily enough, storming down the tunnel after being substituted. It felt as if it had been addressed, and both had moved on.
The two situations have potentially shown that Alonso can not manage the big egos at Real Madrid, resulting in a loss of faith in him at the club. Whoever comes in next will need to be strong with the players at the club.
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-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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