After Real Madrid dropped points for a third consecutive La Liga match, Xabi Alonso told the press: “It’s a long season.” Yet the time afforded to underperforming managers at the biggest club in the world is typically the opposite of long.
Alonso is feeling the pressure in his debut season in charge of Real Madrid. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss went from a hero’s farewell in Germany, where he made Bundesliga and European history, to carrying the weight of Los Blancos’ early season failures.
Following in the footsteps of Carlo Ancelotti, the club’s winningest manager of all time, was never going to be easy. Yet Alonso was given an upgraded defense, a Ballon d’Or worthy-start from Kylian Mbappé and a Barcelona side plagued by injury to help him through the first few months on the touchline in the Spanish top-flight.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the Spaniard is under scrutiny already given Real Madrid’s current slump that saw them drop to second in the La Liga standings following draws with Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona. In fact, the club secured just one win in their last five matches across all competitions.
There is criticism to be shared for the Spanish giants’ drop in form, but a slew of concerning decisions from Alonso makes it entirely fair to ask the question: Is he out of his depth going from managing Bayer Leverkusen to Real Madrid?
Bizarre Tactical Decisions Take Center Stage
It is never a good sign when there is already a list of head-turning tactical decisions from a new manager before the calendar flipped to December. Alonso has made a habit of spearheading experiments in must-win games for Real Madrid, and nearly all of them failed.
The Spaniard started a front three of Mbappé, Gonzalo García and Vinicius Junior in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain. Real Madrid lost that match 4–0.
Alonso also threw a recently recovered Jude Bellingham into his XI against Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid, who had been perfect in 2025–26 up until that game, lost 5–2 at the Metropolitano.
With Barcelona slowly gaining ground in the La Liga title race, Alonso benched Vinicius Jr for Rodrygo and gave the nod to Fran García in the midfield against Elche. Real Madrid only managed a 2–2 draw on that occasion, and both goals came once García and Rodrygo came off and Vinicius Jr came on.
November nightmare for Real Madrid.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) December 1, 2025
In a three-game span, the title race has swung in Barcelona's favour - with Villarreal and Atletico not far behind. pic.twitter.com/LQKzj83SzV
Then there is the glaring, omnipresent problems plaguing Los Blancos that have seemingly gone unaddressed. The team is static in the build-up, lacks presence in the midfield, overloads the left flank and seldom has players making runs into the box. Not to mention the whimpering intensity Alonso’s men have played with ever since they defeated Barcelona back in October.
Sure, Alonso is not physcially on the pitch; there is no doubt his star-studded squad needs to deliver better performances across 90 minutes. Yet the manager is often hindering Real Madrid with his bizarre experiments instead of finding long-term solutions.
Head-Scratching Substitutions Do No Favors
Along with his questionable tactics in big games, Alonso has also struggled to make timely and impactful substitutions. There are a handful of examples to draw upon, but two stand out: El Clásico and Real Madrid’s 1–1 draw with Girona.
The decision to pull Vinicius Jr is the less concerning of the two, despite the ensuing controversy. Alonso likely felt his side needed a burst of energy, a pair of fresh legs to get them through the final stages against Barcelona.
Yet pulling the Brazil international, who was arguably the best player on the pitch that afternoon at the Bernabéu, was a perplexing decision considering Los Blancos were still pushing to score a third goal. Had the Catalans bagged a late equalizer after Alonso took off his most dangerous player, the substitution would have been scrutinized even more.
Vinicius Jr was not happy about being substituted during El Clasico...
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 26, 2025
The Brazilian stormed down the tunnel after being taken off by Xabi Alonso. pic.twitter.com/S58bwxiVZO
Fast forward a few weeks to the team’s bout with Girona. Real Madrid were crying out for a natural No. 9 inside the box to get on the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant service. Alonso, though, did not bring on Gonzalo until the 90th minute, and he did so by replacing Alexander-Arnold.
The striker only had four minutes of stoppage time to try to find a winner for the visitors, and had to do so without the one person who provided tantalizing crosses all night long. Even Endrick could have been an option, but the Brazilian continued to waste away on the bench.
Of course it’s impossible to say if a different decision would have impacted the end result at the Estadi Montilivi, but it goes without saying that better substitutions would have given Real Madrid an increased chance at snatching all three points against a side with statistically the worst defense in the league.
Managing Superstars Is a Different Beast
Tactical and in-game decisions aside, managing the egos and big names in the Real Madrid dressing room is a new experience for Alonso. The World Cup winner went from leading the likes of Alejandro Grimaldo, Amine Adli and a young Florian Wirtz against less-than-impressive opponents in the Bundesliga to overseeing Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham.
Alonso walked into a team of proven winners, most of which already have at least one Champions League title to their name. A team who had a glorious relationship with Ancelotti, even amid last season’s shortcomings.
Instead of fostering a similar trust, Alonso fell out with Vinicius Jr, so much so that the winger threw a public tantrum when he was pulled against Barcelona. Plus, the No. 7 even reportedly stalled his contract extension talks due to his deteriorating relationship with the manager.
It could be the beginning of the end for Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid... if he did leave, where would he actually go? pic.twitter.com/YfRJQraWMQ
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 24, 2025
Even if the media is overplaying the tension between the two, the distraction is an unnecessary hinderance to the team. Zinedine Zidane managed a squad with bigger egos, bigger names and bigger expectations and never brought even a hint of the outside chaos Alonso has allowed into the dressing room just four months into the season.
Blame falls on Vinicius Jr as well, but reports of growing discontent among other players in white against the Spanish boss go beyond the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up.
As the walls begin to close in around Alonso, the 44-year-old will likely only have a limited time to prove he can lead Real Madrid out of this slump. The manager must get his side to play like a team capable of winning silverware and reclaiming their dominance in both Spain and Europe.
If more failures ensue, though, Alonso will soon find himself in the middle of a crisis, one that is not just printed on the cover of Spanish newspapers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Is Xabi Alonso Out of His Depth At Real Madrid?.
