Jude Bellingham reveals what Real Madrid squad really thinks about Xabi Alonso after loss vs Man City
Xabi Alonso is in serious danger of the sack at Real Madrid, less than six months after he was appointed.
Manchester City beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland scoring to hand the visitors the three points.
The home side had taken the lead through Rodrygo, but failed to register another shot on target in the remaining 62 minutes.
Alonso was already under severe pressure at Real Madrid, with Wednesday’s clash seen as a key moment in the Spaniard’s future.
Odds on Alonso replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool have been slashed in recent hours, with the former Bayer Leverkusen man likely to face the unforgiving wrath of president Florentino Perez.
Jude Bellingham backs Xabi Alonso as decision looms
Alonso is undoubtedly regarded among the brightest managerial talents in football, but the move to Real Madrid may have come slightly too soon.
When the Spaniard arrived at Bayer Leverkusen, his only managerial experience had come with Real Sociedad’s developmental side, Real Sociedad B.
Yet Alonso transformed the Bundesliga side, leading them to an unbeaten domestic double in just his second year in charge.
| Xabi Alonso | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Wins | 89 |
| Draws | 32 |
| Losses | 19 |
| Scored | 315 |
| Conceded | 155 |
Several clubs, including Liverpool, would attempt to hire the 44-year-old in 2024, but he saw out his contract and joined Real Madrid in the summer.
And Alonso’s side have not performed overly badly, winning 19 games from 28 across all competitions and trailing Barcelona by just four points in La Liga.
Good results have been hard to come by in recent weeks, however, with Los Blancos winning just two of their last eight across all competitions.
Speaking after the game, Jude Bellingham offered his support for his under-fire manager: “We are fully behind Xabi Alonso. I have a very good relationship with him”.
Where would Alonso fall on shortest Real Madrid appointments?
Perez is no stranger to sacking a manager. The Real Madrid president knows what he wants from his manager, and if he is not getting it, he has very little patience.
Mariona Garcia Remon learned that very quickly when he was dismissed after just 101 days in charge, when he was unable to turn around the form of the 2004-05 Galacticos.
Alonso’s 193 days in charge of Real Madrid, so far, would not even place him in the top five of the shortest-serving managers if he was to be sacked now.
Number five, Jose Antonio Camacho, preceded the aforementioned Remon and only spent slightly longer than him in the job, serving just 140 days across two stints.