Former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso lambasted the club’s management for granting excessive influence to players following his abrupt dismissal, accusing them of undermining his authority in the dressing room amid a rocky tenure that ended after less than a year, Spanish media reported.
Alonso, who was sacked Sunday after a 3-2 Supercopa de España final loss to Barcelona, reportedly told club officials: “You CAN’T give the players this much power. It’s IMPOSSIBLE for a coach to rule in a dressing room if the club is always taking the players’ side,” according to radio station La SER.
In further remarks cited by El Chiringuito, the 44-year-old Spaniard emphasized: “The players have TOO MUCH POWER and it’s not possible for this to be the case.”
The relationship between Alonso and the squad had been strained from the outset, with part of the dressing room unhappy over the treatment of veteran midfielder Luka Modrić, sources told La SER.
Tensions escalated after a humiliating 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid, which “damaged” ties irreparably, radio network COPE reported.
The club attempted to overhaul Alonso’s coaching staff, including adding fitness trainer Antonio Pintus, but the manager refused, declaring his team a “red line,” leading to the entire group’s termination, newspaper Marca revealed.
Real Madrid will only compensate Alonso for the current season, invoking a clause in his three-year contract that limits payouts upon early dismissal, COPE added.
No immediate comment was available from Real Madrid or Alonso, who has been replaced by former player Álvaro Arbeloa as the club trails Barcelona by four points in La Liga.
