Xabi Alonso was brutally sacked by Spanish giants Real Madrid the day after their side lost to Barcelona in the Super Cup, and the former midfielder has now spoken out about his departure.
Alonso had many problems during his time at Real Madrid (Image: Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso has admitted that life at Real Madrid was not what he “wanted” after leaving the Bernabéu. The Spaniard was sacked on Monday, a day after the Spanish Super Cup defeat to rivals Barcelona.
A statement from Los Blancos read as follows: “Real Madrid CF would like to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, he has decided to end his tenure as first-team coach.”
“Xabi Alonso will always carry the love and admiration of all Madrid players, because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.”
“I would like to thank Xabi Alonso and his entire coaching staff for their hard work and dedication during this time and wish them all the best in this new stage of their lives.”
Alonso has now spoken out about his departure, insisting his dream return to Madrid didn’t turn out the way he had envisioned. “This chapter of my career has come to an end, but not in the way I had hoped. Being the manager of Real Madrid is both an honor and a responsibility,” he wrote on Instagram.
read more: Manager Jurgen Klopp announces final position on Real Madrid job after message to club leadersread more: Xabi Alonso, Manchester United clarify position on free run with Liverpool icon
“I would like to thank the club, the players and above all the fans and the Real Madrid community for their trust and support. I leave here with respect, gratitude and the pride of having given my best.”
Alonso had just been appointed in the summer, replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who had impressed at RB Leipzig. He agreed to a three-year contract in Spain, but ended up only serving about eight months of that contract. His time at the club was dominated by a spat with winger Vinicius Junior.
Real have already announced that Alonso will be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa. Jurgen Klopp is one of the people said to have been involved in the move to the Bernabéu, and he has also been vocal about Alonso’s departure.
“First of all, I think this is another sign that something is not right at the moment, given how outstanding his coaching ability he has been in the last two years at Leverkusen, given his age and the number of jobs he has held, but Xabi Alonso, who was forced to leave Madrid after just six months, shows a few things,” he said on television.
Xabi Alonso sacked by Real Madrid after just eight months (Image: Getty Images)
Was Real Madrid right to sack Alonso? Share your thoughts in the comments section below
“On the one hand, this shows that today we are running out of time. On the other hand, the expectations for Real Madrid are clearly huge. To make such a decision in this heated competition after yesterday’s loss to Barcelona in the cup final says a lot. I think we have been hearing the rumors for quite some time.”
“And now I don’t know if your question is there, but this has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me. Maybe that will be an additional question.
“I was surprised, that’s true. I was really surprised. Then some people messaged me and I replied with different emojis.”
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