Three Red Flags Xabi Alonso Brings to Chelsea From Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen

The former Real Madrid boss is taking his talents—and shortcomings—to west London.

Xabi Alonso did not have it all his own way at Real Madrid | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Xabi Alonso is the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge, but his appointment comes with some warning signs Chelsea must heed in their quest to bounce back from a miserable campaign.

The Blues went from lifting the Club World Cup last summer to winning just four of their last 16 matches across all competitions—and two of those victories came against Championship side Wrexham and League One outfit Port Vale.

Sitting ninth in the Premier League and at risk of not qualifying for European competition next season, Chelsea pulled the trigger on Alonso to be Liam Rosenior’s permanent replacement in the dugout, starting next season.

The hopes of Stamford Bridge now lie on Alonso’s shoulders, but there’s some warranted cause for concern surrounding his first job since getting sacked by Real Madrid just 233 days into a three-year contract.

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Questionable Tactics Take Center Stage

Xabi Alonso (right) only lasted until January at Real Madrid. | Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images

Alonso gets so much praise for his tactical intelligence, and most of it is justified. However, he sometimes falls victim to his own brain, implementing experiments that blow up in his face.

The 44-year-old came under fire at Real Madrid for his head-turning tactical decisions, some of which were simply bizarre. Alonso started Vinicius Junior on the right wing in the Club World Cup semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain and the team lost 4–0.

He threw a recently recovered Jude Bellingham into the XI in the first Madrid derby of the season at the Metropolitano and Real Madrid lost 5–2. Alonso also inexplicably gave Fran García the nod at left wing against Elche and Real Madrid settled for a 2–2 draw against the inferior side.

Yes, it became obvious players in white did not want to follow Alonso’s tactics or game plans toward the end of his tenure, but there’s the very real possibility that the team lost faith in his big-brain adjustments after so many failed in the first few months of the season.

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Clashes With Superstars Paint Worrying Picture

Vinicius Jr was not happy about being substituted during El Clasico...

The Brazilian stormed down the tunnel after being taken off by Xabi Alonso. pic.twitter.com/S58bwxiVZO

— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 26, 2025

Along with his head-scratching tactics, Alonso’s fallout with multiple superstars at Real Madrid marred his short-lived stint at the Bernabéu. There was no love lost between the Spaniard and Vinicius Jr, who infamously lost his head when Alonso replaced him in the first Clásico of the season.

Things only got worse between the two as the months dragged on. Vinicius Jr issued a public apology without including Alonso. The manager then said the fans were “free to express their opinion” about the Brazilian after he was booed at the Bernabéu. Reports emerged that Vinicius Jr would not sign a new contract while Alonso was in charge.

Even if you side with Alonso in the nasty fallout, it is still a major concern that he could not even publicly get on the same page with the star of his team, who never had any issues with Carlo Ancelotti, Álvaro Arbeloa or any of his past Brazil managers.

Alonso also clashed with Trent Alexander-Arnold, though nowhere near to the same extent. The boss preferred the aging Dani Carvajal to the team’s blockbuster summer signing, benching Alexander-Arnold or limiting his minutes instead of allowing the ex-Liverpool star to acclimate to a new team and new league.

Some might praise Alonso’s boldness and his refusal to bend the knee to the big names in his dressing room, but his inability to create a cohesive team environment is alarming, considering Chelsea already have players seemingly more interested in flirting with potential transfers than grinding out wins for the badge on their chests.

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Past Failures in Big Moments Spell Trouble

Xabi Alonso failed to get his teams up for big moments. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

It’s unfair to make an entire assessment on Alonso based solely on his time at Real Madrid. After all, the Spaniard made history at Bayer Leverkusen, leading the German outfit to an undefeated Bundesliga title one season after they were in the drop zone.

Yet warning signs were already there in that historic season concerning Alonso’s poise in big matches. Leverkusen had not lost a single match in 2023–24, and then in the Europa League final they fell 3–0 to Atalanta, looking wildly uncompetitive the entire match.

In 2024–25, Leverkusen finished in the top eight of the Champions League league phase standings, but crashed out of the competition in the round of 16 to Bayern Munich. Alonso’s men did not even get on the scoresheet across two legs and were eliminated 5–0 on aggregate to an opponent they knew better than anyone else in the competition.

The same trend continued at Real Madrid. Yes, Alonso led the team to plenty of league wins against inferior sides, but when it came time for a heavyweight battle, Los Blancos faltered more often than not. They lost 4–0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals, 5–2 to Atlético Madrid in La Liga, 1–0 to Liverpool in the Champions League and 2–1 to Manchester City in the same competition.

Of course, Alonso cannot shoulder all the blame for such results; after all, he’s not on the pitch. But there’s a concerning pattern that could only get worse in the Premier League, when he has to lead Chelsea week in and week out in the most competitive league in the world.

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