Xabi Alonso on leaving Real Madrid: “Honoured to manage this club” | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso's tenure as coach of Real Madrid has come to an end, and he chose a brief and measured message to say goodbye. Through his social media, the Basque coach expressed gratitude for the support received, acknowledged that the results were not as expected, and concluded his chapter with a tone of respect and self-criticism.

"This professional stage concludes and it did not turn out as we would have liked," Xabi Alonso wrote at the beginning of his statement, making it clear that the outcome was far from the objectives set at the start of the project. Despite this, he highlighted the symbolic value of having managed the white club: "Coaching Real Madrid has been an honor and a responsibility."

In his farewell, the coach chose to focus on gratitude. "I thank the club, the players, and especially the fans and the Madridismo for their trust and support," he expressed, in a text noted for its sobriety and for not including direct mentions of the management or president Florentino Pérez.

The closing of the message maintained the same tone: "I leave with respect, gratitude, and the pride of having done my best." A phrase that summarizes the tone of his departure, without public controversies or reproaches, in a sporting context that ultimately hastened his farewell.

Xabi Alonso was at the helm of the first team for just eight months following his departure from Bayer Leverkusen. However, the team's inconsistency since November and the lack of sustained results led to an early exit, ending a brief but intense period on the Santiago Bernabéu bench.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.