Xabi Alonso on thin ice at Real Madrid after Girona 'disaster'

Tom Weber

• 1 Dec 2025 12:50 CST
• 3 min read

News

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso is on thin ice after a 'disastrous' result against Girona, with club insiders claiming that Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are "incompatible."

Los Blancos are in crisis on and off the pitch. Despite leading LaLiga before the weekend, the mood at the Santiago Bernabeu has long since turned toxic amid reports that head coach Alonso has a strained - to put it diplomatically - relationship with several key performers.

Superstar winger Vinicius Jr has been a thorn in Alonso's side from the jump, and the Brazil international informed the club in October that he would not extend his contract as long as his relationship with the Spaniard remains tense.

Factions have reportedly formed in the dressing room, with some players backing Vinicius, while others, such as Kylian Mbappe, have thrown their weight behind the manager.

Up until now, Alonso has enjoyed the unanimous support from Real Madrid's bosses, chief among them Florentino Perez, but results have now turned sour, and the pressure is mounting on the 44-year-old.

Girona 'disaster' leaving Alonso's future in the balance

According to The Athletic, Sunday's meagre 1-1 draw with relegation-battling Girona has dealt Alonso a devastating blow, despite the mitigating circumstance that Real Madrid were not given a seemingly obvious penalty.

The report quotes one club source as saying that the result and the overall performance was nothing short of a "disaster," while numerous other insiders admitted that Wednesday's game away at Athletic Club could be crucial in deciding Alonso's future.

Although the report does not explicitly mention that Alonso is facing the sack, it does imply that the situation is becoming increasingly untenable, although some sources pin the blame on the players rather than the manager.

Indeed, one is quoted as describing superstar players Vinicius, Mbappe and Jude Bellingham as "incompatible" and robbing the team of any semblance of "balance."

Nevertheless, this is a hugely "worrying situation" for Alonso as those close to the dressing room say that his "messages are not getting through to the players." This is reflected in the squad's lacklustre performances.

Real Madrid's bosses will surely be reluctant to sack Alonso, but if things don't improve soon, they will have no choice but to make a big decision. After all, it's always easier to change the coach than a group of players.

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