Xabi Alonso tried and failed to coach an uncoachable team - Real Madrid departure shows player power still reigns at the Bernabeu

Tom Hindle Tue, 13 January 2026 at 6:00 am UTC·10 min read The final image of Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager - and one that tells the story of his time in charge at the Bernabeu - was of someone else telling him what to do. After Sunday's Supercopa de Espana loss to Barcelona, Alonso gestured to his players that they should give a guard of honour to their victorious opponents as they went to collect the trophy. Kylian Mbappe, though, was having none of it, and insisted his team-mates follow his lead. They did just that - and so too did Alonso. That is Real Madrid in a microcosm. Alonso, the coach, was all about team spirit, togetherness, doing the right thing as a sporting unit....