Xabi Alonso was sacked as Real Madrid manager in January 2026
Spanish manager Xabi Alonso has admitted that his time at Real Madrid was one of the toughest moments of his career, following his recent appointment as Chelsea manager.
Alonso joined the Bernabéu with a strong reputation but lasted just seven months before being dismissed in January 2026 after a Supercopa de España final defeat to Barcelona.
His control of the dressing room reportedly slipped, with issues involving players such as Vinícius Jr and Fede Valverde contributing to the decision.
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The manager described the experience as “a scar” in his career, noting that he had never faced such a challenge before.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss stated that he has recovered from the difficult period and is now ready to embrace the next chapter of his career.
Speaking at the launch of Chelsea’s preseason tour in Australia, Alonso was candid about the need to process failure before returning to management.
“Luckily there are not too many scars in my career. So, OK, I got a scar, but this heals. Now it is healed, and I am very motivated and determined to enjoy this next step as I did when I started in Madrid.
"Looking back, I take the positives and the things that didn't work. I have been very critical of myself, thinking about what I could have done better because it did not go as expected," he said.
Still speaking on his stint with the Los Blancos, he added that, "There are many experiences, the adaptation I had to do, some things that worked and some things that did not in terms of the game, in terms of the man-management. It is a mixture of everything."
Alonso has already begun his tenure at Chelsea, overseeing several preseason matches with mixed results of wins and losses.
SB/JKB
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