09 July 2025, USA, East Rutherford: Soccer: Club World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain – Real Madrid, final … More
Xabi Alonso’s arrival at Real Madrid signals a shift towards tactical discipline, a departure from the club’s star-driven legacy.
Alonso’s Madrid Faces Tactical Test Amidst Star Power
- Xabi Alonso returns to Real Madrid as manager, highlighting a potential tactical evolution.
- The club’s long reliance on star power, exemplified by Luka Modric’s longevity, may be shifting.
- Early results, including a 0-4 loss to PSG at the Club World Cup, show challenges in implementing Alonso’s tactical plans.
- Alonso emphasizes building a new era with discipline and control, contrasting with past approaches.
- Managing player egos will be a key challenge for Alonso in instilling his tactical vision.
What is Xabi Alonso’s biggest challenge as Real Madrid manager? Managing player egos and implementing his tactical vision is the primary hurdle for the new coach.
When Xabi Alonso was confirmed as Real Madrid’s new manager, a social media buzz erupted. It highlighted the fascinating coincidence that Luka Modric, the club’s veteran midfielder, was a key player when Alonso departed as a player for Bayern Munich. Alonso then spent three years in Germany, honed his coaching skills, and achieved remarkable success with Bayer Leverkusen. Now, he returns to a Madrid where Modric, at 38, has remained a vital presence. Though Modric has since moved to AC Milan, his continued role underscored a decade of impressive longevity but also, some argue, a lack of midfield development at the Spanish giant.
Real Madrid hasn’t been unsuccessful; they’ve secured five Champions League titles, two in the last five years under Carlo Ancelotti. However, the end of last season suggested a potential faltering of their “star power over strategy” approach. They were convincingly outplayed by a more organized Arsenal in the Champions League and finished second in La Liga to a revitalized Barcelona.
Alonso’s appointment strongly suggests the club’s hierarchy desires a more tactically astute manager. Unlike legends like Zinedine Zidane, whose strengths lay in mentality, Alonso’s coaching success is built on tactical acumen, as demonstrated at Bayer Leverkusen with fewer resources.
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Early signs under Alonso were difficult. A humbling 0-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup saw players admit they failed to execute the manager’s plan. “We didn’t manage to apply the manager’s plan,” Thibaut Courtois stated. “We couldn’t press like them; from my point of view, we always arrived a little late, everyone out of position.”
PSG’s recent Champions League triumph was achieved by moving away from the “galactico” model that Real Madrid has mastered. Alonso, recognizing this, praised PSG’s long-term plan. “They have been building for two years, and we are just starting, so we will take time,” he said. “We will have to learn from today, but the feeling at the moment is not the best.”
“Our new era is just beginning; there is still a lot of margin, lots of things we have to do better,” Alonso continued. “Today hurts, we have to be self-critical. We leave here a better team, even if it is hard to say that right now. It can be a starting point for us, a way of beginning next season better. Today is the end of this season, not the start of next. This competition has told me a lot of things about what we are and what we have to improve. I leave here with many certainties. We will start from zero in August, when 2025-26 begins.”
Did you know? Xabi Alonso’s tactical prowess was key to Bayer Leverkusen’s success, often achieved with a squad less resourced than its rivals.
As for Alonso’s specific plans, they remain to be seen. However, Spanish coach Ismael Garcia Gomez believes Alonso will implement a highly disciplined approach. “I expect more tactical discipline and much more control of games,” Gomez commented. “The challenge is, of course, not only to win, but to impose a style that Madrid have never historically had. It’s more like Antonio Conte, or Barcelona, or Manchester City. Alonso will want a style that everyone knows, to say ‘this is Real Madrid’.”
Historically, a rigid tactical approach hasn’t always worked at Real Madrid, often attributed to star players being too ego-driven to adhere to instructions. Former Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder echoed this concern. “Xabi is very intelligent. You could see that when we played together,” Sneijder said. “I think he’ll do well at Real Madrid. He knows the club, the pressure and has fresh ideas. I believe in him after what he did at Bayer Leverkusen. The only issue could be if egos are not managed well. Great players need structure and sacrifice. If they play for the team, not for themselves, they can be unstoppable. But it’s up to the coach to make it work.”
‘Making it work’ is the critical task for Alonso. The upcoming season will reveal if his tactical blueprint is truly worthy of Real Madrid’s illustrious history.
