Explained: The origin of fallout between Real Madrid ace and Xabi Alonso started before El Clasico | OneFootball

Real Madrid are staring at the prospect of going trophyless for two back-to-back seasons – something that was unthinkable last summer when they had hired Xabi Alonso to lead the new project.

The charismatic Alonso even had a blistering start to his spell at Santiago Bernabeu before everything eventually collapsed, leading to his dismissal in January.

A key reason behind Alonso’s dismissal was his poor hold of the dressing room, made worse by a fractured relationship with star player Vinicius Jr.

Most believe the relationship between Alonso and Vini boiled over publicly during the Clasico against Barcelona, when Alonso substituted the Brazilian for Rodrygo, a decision that prompted an explosive reaction from the forward as he walked off the pitch.

“It’s always me. I’m leaving the team,” Vinicius was heard saying, before adding in even more colourful terms his frustration with his manager.

Alonso had a dysfunctional relationship with Vinicius. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The moment went viral and was widely reported as the flashpoint between the two. But according to journalist Paco Gonzalez, that was not where it all began.

The Club World Cup was the real starting point

Gonzalez claims the friction between Vinicius and Alonso can be traced back to the Club World Cup, specifically in the buildup to the final.

During that period, Alonso tested a starting eleven in which Vinicius was not included from the off, with the idea being to pair Mbappe and Gonzalo together in the opening lineup.

That decision did not sit well with the Brazilian, who considered himself an undisputed starter and was unhappy at the prospect of being left out of such a high-profile occasion.

As it turned out, Vinicius did start the final. But the damage, according to Gonzalez, had already been done.

The seed of discontent had been planted, and the Clasico substitution weeks later simply brought those underlying tensions to the surface in the most public and dramatic fashion possible.