Xabi Alonso always wanted a Xabi Alonso

This was the least expected day for the most expected ending. Xabi Alonso’s fate had been sealed for some time. Even with the clear improvement the team showed in recent weeks, and in that Spanish Super Cup where Madrid pushed Barcelona to the brink until the final whistle, the lack of alignment between the coach, the club’s leadership and the players, made this goodbye inevitable. It is a midseason exit that leaves a lingering sense of uncertainty.

Personally, I trust Álvaro Arbeloa as a coach. I am convinced we will now see more opportunities for academy players, those no-nonsense, mission-ready types who always step up for Madrid in critical moments. Asencio and Gonzalo are perfect examples.

Arbeloa’s biggest Real Madrid problem

Still, Arbeloa inherits the same core problem that followed Xabi Alonso from day one. Who runs the game with the ball at their feet? Who lifts their head and slips the decisive pass to Vinicius, Kylian Mbappé or Rodrygo? Who gives Madrid a commanding midfield that dictates the tempo instead of chasing it?

That question defined Alonso’s tenure more than any result.

Real Madrid needed Xabi Alonso

The former Liverpool star pushed hard for the signing of Martin Zubimendi. The response from above was that with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham, the energy, as Carlo Ancelotti liked to say, was guaranteed.

What became clear very quickly was that energy alone was not enough. What was missing was quality and clarity in the engine room. Xabi Alonso’s greatest problem was painfully ironic. He needed a Xabi Alonso.

Alonso’s cruel paradox

Fate played a cruel trick. Alonso could not clone himself to make his footballing vision fully believable on the field. He tried, and he failed.

Now it is Arbeloa’s turn to attempt the impossible. Good luck, Alvaro.

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