Xabi Alonso had one of those days any coach would love to erase from memory. The 2–0 loss to Celta de Vigo would’ve already been enough to dominate the negative headlines, but Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu delivered a full turbulence package: three red cards, widespread irritation, questions about whether he still commands the locker room and the shadow of a possible dismissal if Real Madrid doesn’t beat Manchester City on Wednesday. For a club that lives on pressure, the coach has officially entered the red zone.
The mounting pressure takes its toll
Across their last seven matches, Real Madrid has won only two, drawn three and lost two. Sitting in second place in La Liga already frustrates the Madrid fan base, and the gap to Barcelona has now stretched to four points. At Real Madrid, the reckoning comes fast, and the pressure arrives even faster. If Real slips against City, the crisis won’t stay in the corridor anymore, it’ll walk straight into the locker room.
The atmosphere at the Bernabéu made that clear. The refereeing crew became a target from start to finish. Fran García, Álvaro Carreras and Endrick were all sent off, and the Brazilian’s case drew even more attention. Without stepping on the field, he was shown a red card in the final minutes after firing harsh criticism at the fourth official.
Internal fractures and signs of wear
If what happens on the pitch worries the club, the behind-the-scenes picture isn’t much better. Xabi Alonso was caught on Spanish TV asking if Fran García was “joking” after picking up what many considered an avoidable red card. That kind of reaction plays badly in any context, especially in a locker room that, according to local media, is already showing signs of friction with the coach. Vini Jr and Valverde have publicly criticized him recently, and the sense is that Xabi has lost part of the squad or, at the very least, no longer knows how to reach it.
After the loss, the coach faced back-to-back questions about whether he could be dismissed if Wednesday brings another disaster. Xabi tried to sidestep the topic with a standard press-room response: “We focus on the next match. Of course this moment hurts. But we have to look ahead together, with the standards of what we represent, with the pride and responsibility that come with it.” It convinced no one.
Interestingly, the situation that seems to be falling apart in the domestic league finds a counterweight in the Champions League. Real Madrid has four wins and only one loss through the first five rounds, a campaign that keeps Xabi in the job more effectively than any speech. The match against Pep Guardiola has, inevitably, become a turning point. Surviving in the Champions League might stop the bleeding. Falling to City might accelerate a process that already feels underway.