‘I Did My Best’—Xabi Alonso Breaks Silence on Real Madrid Exit

Real Madrid parted company with Xabi Alonso in the wake of losing the Spanish Super Cup final.

Xabi Alonso left Real Madrid after just seven months. | Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Xabi Alonso called it an “honor and a responsibility” to be Real Madrid manager in his first public address since leaving the Santiago Bernabéu on Monday.

Alonso officially departed Real Madrid by “mutual consent” and has since been replaced by former Los Blancos teammate Álvaro Arbeloa, promoted from his role as Real Madrid Castilla boss.

It was reported that the decision was made following a meeting that came after Sunday’s defeat to great rivals Barcelona in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At that point, his “weariness” amid months of intense pressure and scrutiny was apparent.

Overall, it seemed Alonso’s tactics and approach differed from what Real Madrid wanted. He notably fell out with Vinicius Junior, prompting the Brazilian to reportedly refuse to sign a contract extension, while an incident with Kylian Mbappé after the Super Cup fueled speculation about growing rifts.

In the wake of his exit, Mbappé was first to give his thanks to Alonso with a social media post. Several other players, including Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Arda Güler followed suit, but Vinicius Junior has not spoken publicly.

Alonso kept it brief when he took to social media on Tuesday, having taken stock of the situation overnight. But the 44-year-old aired only positive comments and gratitude for the opportunity.

“This professional stage is over, and it didn’t go as we would have liked. Coaching Real Madrid has been an honor and a responsibility,” Alonso posted on Instagram.

“I thank the club, the players and above all the fans and Madrid fans for their trust and support. I leave with respect, gratitude, and pride that I did my best.”

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‘One of the Best Coaches in the World’ Is Out of Work

Alonso has fallen a long way in a short space of time.

After all his success at Bayer Leverkusen, steering the club to an unbeaten domestic season in 2023–24, delivering a first ever Bundesliga title as part of league and cup double, and being one game away from pulling off a remarkable treble, the Spaniard was dubbed “one of the best coaches in the world” by Real Madrid when he was announced as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor last May.

He was handed a three-year contract and is out of work less than eight months later.

But his managerial career won’t be defined by this setback, failing to satisfy the most notoriously hard to please club in the world.

Already fans are speculating where he might go next, with Manchester United curiously on the lookout for a new permanent boss from summer.

Alonso’s ties with Liverpool might make that a difficult one, but the Reds too could find themselves in need depending on how the rest of the season unfolds under Arne Slot. He rejected his former employers once before, in 2024, which turned Liverpool onto Slot in the first place. But things might be different now.

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