Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso reveals why things went wrong at Real Madrid

The new Chelsea coach discusses his biggest disappointment, what he learned from his difficult exit, and why he has no regrets.

DAVID GRAY

Pablo M. Fuentenebro Roddy Cons

Update: Aug 3rd, 2026 03:16 EDT

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Xabi Alonso has embraced the next chapter of his coaching career with renewed energy after leaving Real Madrid. The former Madrid boss is beginning a fresh challenge in London with Chelsea, and in a candid interview with The Athletic, he made it clear that he has already moved on from his time at the Santiago Bernabéu.

“Luckily there are not too many scars in my career,,” Alonso said. “So, OK, I got a scar, but this heals. Now it is healed, and I am very motivated and determined to enjoy this next step as I did when I started in Madrid.”

Xabi Alonso reflects on his Real Madrid departure

Looking back on his exit, Alonso said he has tried to focus on both the successes and the disappointments.

“Looking back, I take the positives and the things that didn’t work. I have been very critical of myself, thinking about what I could have done better because it did not go as expected. You learn from the disappointment of things that were not meant to be and you try to think that things will be better.”

Alonso also discussed why he his time at the Bernabéu was brought to an abrupt end.

“(In terms of positives) there are many experiences, the adaptation I had to do, some things that worked and some things that did not in terms of the game, in terms of the man-management. It is a mixture of everything.”

Despite what happened to him at Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso’s reputation as one of the best young coaches remains.

The lure of living in London was a factor behind Alonso’s decision to ignore interest from other clubs. His wife Nagore loves the city, but her approval was a must.… pic.twitter.com/DSSEeeIQ76
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 2, 2026

Why Xabi Alonso stepped away from coaching

After leaving Real Madrid, Alonso deliberately spent time away from the game to recharge before taking on another high-profile role.

“Mainly to reset the energy because the energy that you need as a manager… you need to be full of energy to pull from the rest. It is very important to transmit this passion, this enthusiasm for the game in every training session, every game-plan. I used that time mainly for that. I didn’t watch much…(football). It was mainly about myself, about feeling it.”

Why Chelsea was the right project

Alonso said Chelsea’s long-term vision was the deciding factor in his move to Stamford Bridge.

“It was about the project because I had a view of Chelsea from the outside. I could see the positives and (had) my concerns. So I addressed them. The club, the sporting directors… it has been a process for them, some good things and other things they want to correct.

“The most important point is that we made the same analysis. If we had different views, it probably would not have been the right starting point. So far, we are taking the right ones.”

What Pep Guardiola taught Xabi Alonso

Alonso also reflected on his close relationship with Pep Guardiola during their time together at Bayern Munich, describing how his curiosity helped shape his own coaching philosophy.

“We were very close. I was very curious. I was in that moment of my career where I could go to his office and say, ‘Pep, why is this happening? What’s going to be the game plan?’.

“Maybe when I was 20, I didn’t have the confidence to go to the manager’s office to ask those things. But at that moment, because of the trust (we had), I needed to do that.”