Real Madrid dressing room chaos as Xabi Alonso faces fresh sack rumours

Robin Bairner

• 8 Dec 2025 04:30 CST
• 2 min read

Nieuws

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has come under more pressure following his side’s 2-0 home loss against Celta Vigo, which saw Los Blancos end the match with nine players on the field.

A double from Williot Swedberg allowed Celta to win at the Bernabeu for the first time in more than 20 years, while the home side endured something of a disciplinary meltdown as both Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off.

Alonso has been under pressure since the beginning of the season, with scrutiny falling over his handling of top stars. The Spaniard’s relationship with Vinicius Junior has been especially strained, yet his reaction to the loss against Celta, which leaves Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona in La Liga, was especially surprising.

Xabi Alonso didn’t go into the locker room after the match and had no contact with his players, Cadena Ser reports.

“What Carlo Ancelotti said last season is being repeated: this team is told one thing during the week, and then they don’t do it on the weekend,” journalist Anton Meana claims.

“They have a coaching problem. They can’t seem to find the right formula. Furthermore, there might bee a dressing room problem.”

What did Xabi Alonso say?

Real Madrid have now won only one of their last five in La Liga, but Xabi Alonso was insistent after the Celta loss that he remains in control and is not thinking about leaving the club.

“I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about the next game against Manchester City. We all have to stay united, all together. I feel perfectly capable of turning things around; La Liga is still a long way off. We can do it,” he told the media.

Alonso has won 15 of his 21 matches as Real Madrid boss this season, but he is quickly learning that his new role is more about managing egos in the locker room than sharp tactics in the dugout.