Would Real Madrid be wrong to sack Xabi Alonso? ‘Too much, too soon’ | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso could be one game away from the sack as Real Madrid’s head coach after less than half a season in charge, but would it be a fair or harsh decision?

There has been a growing sense of unrest at Real Madrid in recent weeks and the loss to Celta de Vigo at the weekend raised immediate questions over Alonso’s future. Some reports have speculated that a loss to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night will spell the end for Alonso.

Would it be too soon for a coach who just 18 months ago was completing an unbeaten season to win the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen? Or do Real Madrid’s high standards dictate that Alonso will have to go?

Our writers debate if sacking Alonso would be the right or wrong course of action by Madrid.

Steve Pearson

It looks harsh on the face of it, but Real Madrid aren’t a club who’ll readily accept mediocrity and that’s where they’re heading under Alonso.

From all the reports we read, Alonso does not have the personality or character to command respect or quell unrest in a dressing room containing some of the biggest egos in world football.

You have to remember that finishing second at Real Madrid or not winning the Champions League is a sackable offence. Those are the standards the club have set and while extreme, it is a huge factor why they’ve won six of the last 12 UCL titles and are positioned as arguably the world’s biggest club.

And thanks to that stature, the idea of managing Real Madrid is one that almost no manager worth his salt can ignore. Whether straight after Alonso is fired or after Alvaro Arbeloa takes temporary charge, a world class manager will take the reins and it’ll be business as usual at the Bernabeu.

For Alonso, Real Madrid was simply too much, too soon.

James Marshment

I know there is a lot of talk about him ‘losing the dressing room’ and not having a connection with their big-name players, but I think removing him from his role, just 27 games into his coaching career at the Bernabeu, would be a major mistake.

As it stands, he has a win percentage record there of over 70% (better than Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint, which yielded a 68% winning ratio and equal to what Zinedine Zidane achieved) at this point.

Real Madrid expect and demand to win the biggest prizes of all, but there are no signs at this point that Alonso won’t deliver.

Yes, there have been some disappointing results, but it’s not beyond the realms that Alonso won’t yet steer the club to either (or both) LaLiga or Champions League glory this season.

It’s always a bit of a soap opera there and unfortunately, Mr Nice Guy Alonso finds himself caught up in all the melodrama!

Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox.

Samuel Bannister

Sacking Alonso this early could seriously tarnish the reputation he was carefully building up in his managerial career.

That’s not Real Madrid’s problem if they don’t think he’s good enough, but even if they do dispense of him now, given his connection to them as a former player, it’s not inconceivable that he’s someone that could come back onto their radar in the future for a managerial position.

It may be best to tread carefully with Alonso, then, and offer him some patience to try and get a grip of Madrid’s situation.

With so many superstars – far more than he had at Leverkusen – it can be a tough dressing room to manage, but if there isn’t a top-class candidate waiting to replace him, Madrid should stick behind him.

James Holland

Madrid should stick with Alonso and give him an opportunity to get their season back on track.

Yes, recent results have been poor, but Madrid are only four points behind Barcelona – there is still plenty of time for them to overtake their rivals and win back the title.

Florentino Perez needs to side with Alonso over Vinicius Junior. He cannot let superstars decide how the team should play and which manager should be in charge. Otherwise, Madrid risk falling behind their Champions League competitors.

Nathan Egerton

Real Madrid are renowned for ruthlessly sacking managers but getting rid of Alonso at this stage would be a mistake.

The 44-year-old established himself as one of the best young managers in the world during his time at Bayer Leverkusen and hasn’t suddenly become a bad manager overnight.

Los Blancos are currently in a bad run of form but the 2025/26 season can still be successful for the club as they are second in LaLiga and fifth in the Champions League table.

He has also had to deal with a number of injury problems, which have forced him to use a makeshift defensive unit.

With a fully fit squad, Alonso made a strong start to the season and shouldn’t be judged until he has everyone available again.