Former playing stars wait in the wings as pressure mounts on Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso
With pressure on Alonso, Real Madrid has current in-house replacements in mind - but there’s also the option of Raúl.
That Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso faces a make-or-break moment tomorrow isn’t just talk on the streets - it’s a reality acknowledged in the club’s own corridors. After a month and a half of disappointing results, everyone is desperate to see a spark of light. Going from a five-point cushion over Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, to trailing the Catalans by four - that’s a bitter pill to swallow.
The fix? Beat Manchester City tomorrow in a Champions League blockbuster, then keep the momentum rolling at Alavés Sunday, and on December 20 against Sevilla before the Christmas break. But a bad defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side would stretch the rope to its breaking point. Far too much.
Who could take over from Xabi Alonso?
Should we reach that scenario, the club has two in-house, straightforward options: Álvaro Arbeloa, doing solid work with Castilla, the club’s ‘B’ team; and director of soccer Santiago Solari, a figure who’s always enjoyed respect within the organization and who stepped in as interim boss during the 2018-19 season, after Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal.
With Zinedine Zidane off the table (committed to France post-2026 World Cup) and Jürgen Klopp out of the picture (he’s on a self-imposed sabbatical with his mega Red Bull deal and, as reported by El Chiringuito, has never fully convinced the Madrid hierarchy), I’ll throw out another name - one currently available and beloved by the Bernabéu faithful: Raúl González.
The club legend Raúl knows La Fábrica inside out: He spent six years with Castilla and previously lifted the UEFA Youth League with the Under-19s, making him uniquely positioned to bring through fresh blood that could inject new energy into the first team. Critics will point out he never earned promotion with Castilla, but remember: Zidane had the reserves near the bottom of the table when he got the call after Rafa Benítez’s exit - and then won three straight Champions League titles.
Raúl eyeing “return home”
Raúl commands respect from the stands, as seen in recent legends’ matches where he has suited up again. He’s a club man through and through, and just last week at the AS Gala he admitted his dream “in the medium and long term is to return home.”
Ideally, we won’t need to think about him in the short term - because the best outcome is Alonso turning this around with results and a better attitude from the players - something Aurélien Tchouaméni acknowledged as lacking today. For now, the mission is simple: beat City at all costs. Otherwise, the heat on that bench will be hotter than ever.
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