Real Madrid have announced that they and manager Xabi Alonso have parted ways following the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Super Cup final
Alonso, who made the switch to Real from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year, struggled to gain the full support of his dressing room, as an elongated spat with Vinicius Junior over playing time garnered as much attention as his results on the field late in 2025.
In a statement, Real Madrid said: “Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach.”
“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”
The 44-year-old Spaniard, who made 158 appearances for Real Madrid during his playing career, took over from Carlo Ancelotti – now the Brazil head coach – on June 1st with a three-year deal after his incredible success with Bayer Leverkusen.
He started with a Club World Cup campaign that saw them defeated 4-0 by PSG in the semi-finals, with murmurings of discontent already starting during that tournament.
His coaching style, more intense than his predecessor Ancelotti, has been reported to wind up the players in the Real Madrid dressing room, with his squad seemingly preferring a more relaxed attitude to both training and tactics.
Despite this, Alonso’s league campaign started well, as he won the LaLiga Manager of the Month award in August. But a defeat to local rivals Atletico Madrid and draws to the likes of Girona and Elche, on top of reported unrest within the squad, were enough for rumours to begin swirling about his future.
Those rumours died down after a strong festive period, but a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Super Cup final proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
