Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has downplayed speculation about his future at the club, despite the recent run of adverse results. The team is preparing to face Olympiacos in the Champions League, and Alonso insists that he does not need a message of support from the club.
After three games without a win, with a defeat against Liverpool and draws against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, the pressure on Alonso has increased. The team selection, tactics, and squad management are being scrutinized.
It’s demanding. I’m not the first coach who has to deal with this type of situation. I think about what Carlo [Ancelotti] or Mou[rinho] would do, [Manuel] Pellegrini too. It’s not new. You have to know how to live with it.
In a press conference in Piraeus, Alonso admitted that managing egos is “fundamental” at Real Madrid. He reflected on how his predecessors, Carlo Ancelotti and José Mourinho, who were his coaches as a player, would have approached the team’s current situation.
The team’s performance has been questioned.
Significant absences in the team.
Despite the situation, Alonso’s team remains at the top of LaLiga, with a one-point lead over Barcelona and with nine points in four Champions League matches.Reports indicate that Alonso’s relationship with some players has suffered. It is said that Vinícius Júnior is not happy about having been a substitute on several occasions this season.
Alonso emphasized the importance of managing the personalities of the players to get the best out of them. “It’s as important as your footballing idea, your tactical work, your physical work,” he said. “It’s a process that has ups and downs. You have to know how to deal with it in any team, and in Madrid it’s fundamental.”
Before arriving at Real Madrid, Alonso coached Real Sociedad B and Bayer Leverkusen. As a player, he shared a locker room with great stars. “I have worked with great players, great personalities,” he stated. “They are demanding, they always want the best, and that helps them to be as good as they are. That’s the good thing about being at Real Madrid, working with players of this level. You have to be able to connect with them.”
Alonso also commented on the importance of staying focused on what can be controlled and on how to overcome difficult moments. “I know what a locker room is like,” he added. “You have to live with the outside noise. We have to deal with that and not lose focus on what’s important, on what we can control, on how we work and on how we can overcome these moments.”
When asked if he had received support from the club’s directors, Alonso replied that it is not necessary. “I spoke with the president [Florentino Pérez] this morning. We speak frequently with [the general director] José Ángel [Sánchez]. We communicate on a daily basis.”
The defender Álvaro Carreras commented on the good atmosphere in the team. “The atmosphere is really good. We have an incredible group, with the boss and the 25 players in the squad… We have a good relationship.”
