Xabi Alonso ended the Club World Cup after a disastrous match against PSG with a clear statement of intent. “I’m leaving with certainty. This match, this championship has told me a lot about who we are and what we need to improve. I’m leaving with a plan for next year because of the players we’re going to get back. This is the last game of the 24/25 season and in August we’ll start the 25/26 season, which will be a little different. We’re starting from scratch,“ said Xabi Alonso at the post-match press conference. ”We want to build a team that plays as a unit and has that feeling and spirit. The World Cup has been very demanding, we’ve been knocked out in the penultimate round, it hurts, and now we’ll see what happens,” he said.
A clear message that points directly to putting an end to egos and individualism. Real Madrid made it clear to Xabi Alonso that they will support him regardless of the decisions he makes. The club believes there is a serious ego problem in the team and will let Xabi manage it as he sees fit. This means both deciding whether to let some players go and benching those who are not performing as expected. No more starting spots by decree.
Xabi Alonso speaks clearly with the squad
In the last few hours, José Félix Díaz in MARCA goes further and claims that Xabi Alonso has already spoken to all the players, making it clear to each and every one of them what their role will be, at least initially, when they return to work on August 4. The coach has arrived at Real Madrid wanting to create a project and a style of play, aware that the patience and demands of Madrid fans do not allow for time to be given and that performance must be immediate, so decisions must be firm.
Roles on the return to work
In these conversations, Xabi Alonso has made it clear that players such as Rodrygo will have little playing time, that others such as Brahim will continue to be secondary players and used as substitutes, that Asencio has lost ground and will have to work hard to regain it, that Lunin knows he will continue in Courtois’ shadow waiting for his moment, and that Mendy and Fran García know that their places could be in jeopardy and one of them will have to leave.
There are other more complex situations at Real Madrid that will depend heavily on the day-to-day work during the preseason, as well as personal decisions by both the coach and the players. Ceballos seems to be on his way out, more because of his own reasons than those of the coach, who is clear that he is an asset on the bench. We will have to see how he performs in preseason and what conversations take place before a final decision is made. The same goes for Camavinga, whom the coach has not yet been able to see in action, and we will have to see what role he can play in the team.
In addition, injured players or those recently returned from injury will have to prove their worth to compete for a place in the starting eleven. Finally, there is the Vinicius saga. His performance during the World Cup and his questionable chemistry with Mbappé call for a place on the bench if his attitude does not change. It remains to be seen whether Xabi Alonso will prevail and make this decision when the time comes. There are many unknowns that only time and a return to work will resolve.