Xabi Alonso’s True Relationship With Real Madrid Roster Revealed by Thibaut Courtois
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois downplayed the reports of mutiny against manager Xabi Alonso from within the dressing room, revealing the conversations which took place to ease “tensions” that had risen.
Alonso has been bluntly exposed to the full force of scrutiny lumbered upon any Real Madrid manager who dares to lose a game. The club’s former midfielder, who took over from the widely admired Carlo Ancelotti, has seen his tactics and soft touch questioned over the past three months.
Cracks began to emerge after Vinicius Junior’s open show of dissent when he was substituted in October’s Clásico and the rumors kicked into overdrive once results began to match the mood which supposedly proliferated Madrid’s dressing room.
Vinicius was said to be just one of many players “unconvinced” by Alonso’s methods.
Alonso out of depth feature. Is Xabi Alonso Out of His Depth At Real Madrid?. dark. Analysis
After three successive matches without a win, the momentary respite earned by a chaotic 4–3 victory over Olympiacos was swiftly washed away by last weekend’s 1–1 draw with relegation-battling Girona. Alonso managed to dampen the media frenzy with a 3–0 triumph away to Athletic Club in midweek and had his reputation further enhanced by the impassioned defense Courtois provided postmatch.
“I think we’re always close to him,” Courtois said of his manager to El Chiringuito. “Ultimately, we’re at Real Madrid, any small gesture is magnified by 10, and we’re people. Sometimes tensions are high, but I don’t think there was a problem between the team and the manager.”
The Belgian goalkeeper—forced into several impressive stops against Athletic Club—did admit that there have been stern conversations during these moments of tension.
“What we’ve said is that we need to stop talking and start acting,” Courtois told AS.
“In the first half in Girona, we didn’t give enough, and we have to understand that today, if you don’t play at 100%, you can easily be beaten,” he explained. “Matches are always different; Athletic plays with a high defensive line, which creates more space, and it’s more difficult for us against Girona or Elche when they defend.
“We can improve against teams that play deep. It was a good team performance. We have to keep working and believing. In the end, we’re a team, and everyone has their role. Everyone played a great game. Everyone wants to contribute to the team’s success.”
Vinicius Jr ‘Case Closed’ for Alonso
One of the defining images from Wednesday’s victory at San Mamés was Vinicius Jr embracing Alonso when the Brazilian was brought off in the 77th minute. Madrid were already 3–0 up and cruising after another impressive performance from a player who has adapted well to a slightly tweaked role over the last three games.
Rather than keeping Vinicius Jr pinned wide on the left where he is expected to track back, Alonso has shifted the fleet-footed forward into a front-two alongside Kylian Mbappé, with a muscular midfield four of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga behind them.
This change in system is said to have greatly satisfied Vinicius Jr, who considers his skillset perfectly suited to the new brief, per AS. So happy is the 25-year-old with what appears to be a fresh start under Alonso, the tensions that have flared throughout the campaign have been put to bed. The report goes so far as to determine the “case” of Vinicius Jr. vs. Alonso to be “closed.”
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