The match that could decide Xabi Alonso’s future at Real Madrid – report | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso’s early months at Real Madrid have been placed under a microscope, and the scrutiny has grown so intense that many within the club feel the criticism has drifted into exaggeration. 

But as anyone associated with Real Madrid knows, managing the most decorated club in European football comes with a level of pressure that can quickly distort any storyline, good or bad.

On paper, Alonso’s record this season hardly suggests a crisis. Madrid have tasted defeat just twice, once in La Liga against Atletico Madrid and once in the Champions League against Liverpool. 

Those results, while disappointing, are far from catastrophic for a manager overseeing a long-term rebuild. 

Yet the atmosphere around the club has become increasingly tense, fuelled by whispers that never fully disappeared even after his appointment.

Although the club continues to show outward support for Alonso, some struggle to understand certain tactical decisions. 

Alonso’s D-Day

For now, Madrid’s leadership is taking a wait-and-see approach, but a key date has already emerged as a turning point inside the club: 10 December, reports Mundo Deportivo. 

Xabi Alonso is walking on thin ice. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

On that day, Manchester City visit the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League. 

Notably, a defeat, especially one resembling the performance away at Liverpool, could have massive implications for Alonso’s future. Fair or not, that is the reality of coaching Real Madrid.

Among the fanbase, doubts have begun to surface as well. Some wonder whether Alonso is truly the elite coach he was expected to be. 

Yes, he has delivered wins in both La Liga and the Champions League, but many supporters remain unconvinced by the team’s overall style of play, pointing to performances that look far removed from the standard typically associated.

Before El Clasico, there was even a sense that a loss to Barcelona could have sealed his fate. 

Instead, Real Madrid won, and Alonso briefly regained strength and credibility in the eyes of supporters and some club executives. 

But that goodwill evaporated quickly after the heavy defeat to Liverpool followed by a frustrating draw against Rayo Vallecano.