Xabi Alonso’s revolution at Real Madrid caused an early break with the big stars | Football news

Real Madrid v Barcelona is still a draw – but Sunday’s encounter was particularly important for Xabi Alonso.

Last month’s 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid sparked heavy criticism of the manager. It was an extremely embarrassing defeat and completely derailed the positive vibe around his debut at the Bernabeu.

It also breathed new life into concerns about the team’s ability to compete in big games, concerns that first surfaced after the 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup.

Even though they had won every other game this season except Atleti, Alonso and his team believed that one more mistake would raise the stakes.

They were under the impression that if they did not perform well in a series of key games against Juventus, Barcelona and Liverpool, they would receive a yellow card from the club.

They beat Juve 1-0 last Wednesday, and Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Barca means Madrid now lead the reigning champions by five points in La Liga. They travel to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday having made it three wins from three in the competition.

The Clasico victory, above all, was extremely important for Alonso and his new coaching team, as it takes away some of the pressure from above – at a club where expectations are always very high, no matter what.

But it also represented a big victory on another front: the relationship with his players.

In recent weeks, tensions between Alonso and some members of the Madrid squad have increased – with several first-team players unhappy with his management and the way he has imposed several significant changes since his arrival in the summer. The situation is much deeper than the explosion of Vinicius Junior following his substitution against Barça.

Here, Athletics explains what is happening, in an article informed by numerous conversations with sources close to the first team, the technical staff and the Madrid hierarchy, each speaking anonymously to protect relationships.

When Alonso arrived as Real Madrid coach in June, he found a dressing room accustomed to things he didn’t believe were best for a football team, after four years under Carlo Ancelotti. Sources close to Alonso’s team said “many bad habits” had taken hold.

One of the first messages to his Madrid players was that, with him, everyone would have to run and work harder when the opponent was in possession, and that without that no one would be guaranteed a place.

Alonso’s first matches in charge came during the Club World Cup, which ended for Madrid with a 4–0 defeat to PSG in the semi-finals on July 9. The team then had a break until August 4, when they reported for pre-season training. An important meeting took place during the team regrouping.

Alonso spoke with senior players, including the team captains, to establish a new set of rules that would govern the dressing room. Once the key aspects were collectively agreed, they were communicated to the entire team. Among other things, the regulations emphasize the importance of punctuality (so far no fines have been imposed for lateness), as well as intensity and dedication to training.

“Xabi tried to guarantee more discipline and order on a daily basis, with schedule control, more work in the gym at the prevention level and collective and individual video sessions,” added a source involved in the daily life of the Madrid training ground.

The changes were not well received by everyone. Several sources close to the first team players said Athletics that a feeling of frustration has set in in the Madrid dressing room, with many figures feeling disrespected and dissatisfied.

Several of these sources said the players were upset to find they now had little freedom to express their qualities on the pitch, contrasting Alonso’s more demanding and rigid approach to team style with the way things were done under Ancelotti.

“Some of them gained so much without doing these things that when these things were imposed on them, they complained,” one of the sources said. “It’s not a secret, some cases have been public. It’s normal, especially with those who were untouchable.”

Another person close to a first-team player said Madrid had “gone from a coach who was not very involved in training to one who seems like just another player.”

And other sources consulted for this article said the players’ impression of Alonso was that he was distant and inaccessible – again contrasting with Ancelotti, who was very popular within the group.

“He thinks he’s Pep Guardiola, but for now he’s just Xabi,” said a source close to a senior Madrid player. This comparison to the Manchester City manager has also been made by several others – both positively and negatively.

This feeling of distance, compared to when Ancelotti was in charge of the team, is also reflected in the number of specialists who work with the team in training. Another of the new measures adopted by Alonso means that only staff members who are truly essential to the sessions are allowed to be present.

The same goes for access to the locker rooms during matches. Alonso reduced the number of people around the group before matches and at half-time, to ensure a greater sense of privacy and concentration. But after the final whistle, the doors are open to all members of the staff.

At the same time, members of the players’ entourage have seen access to areas of the training ground restricted, whereas previously it was common for family members, agents and even friends to be present.

Alonso and his team have requested confidentiality. So that the locker room is a safe place where nothing leaks to the media.

Queues are a good example. In recent seasons, it was common for Madrid’s starting lineup to be leaked in advance by the press. This forced the club to regularly announce its team more than two hours before matches.

Alonso tested the team on this during his first team. Before the opening Club World Cup match against Al Hilal, he informed the XI in advance, trusting them about the leaks. The test failed because it was learned that Gonzalo Garcia was going to start.

Now that doesn’t happen anymore.

Sources close to the coaching staff point out that they had to make several changes to Madrid’s set-up because they did not believe the conditions were right to succeed. Alonso’s team, including assistant coach Sebastian Parrilla, fitness trainer Ismael Camenforte and analysts Alberto Encinas and Benat Labaien, are highly regarded by the club.

The methodology of Camenforte, who has a past in Barcelona, ​​also came as a shock to specialists already in Madrid who are now adapting to new ideas.

The technical staff has always asked for time. They are aware that they are immersed in a process that requires patience for the team to function as it intended.

Although they are still aiming for this point, their lead in La Liga and their good run in the Champions League strengthen their position – even more so after Sunday’s victory against Barça.

There are other, more microscopic successes to celebrate, too – and not everyone on the team has been upset by this summer of transition. Alonso’s tactical flexibility and rotations to keep everyone involved are among the traits most praised by other sources close to the team.

His commitment to young players, unlike Ancelotti, is also much commented on – in reference to new recruits Dean Huijsen (20), Alvaro Carreras (22) and Franco Mastantuono (18). Other merits include the confidence and step forward shown by Arda Guler (20), now a regular starter, and the brilliant form of Kylian Mbappe, whose first season caused internal concerns but who this season has 18 goals in 13 games.

If results and performances continue to improve, our impression of Alonso as Madrid coach suggests he will care little if there are moments of discord within the group along the way.

But he will be more than aware that at the Bernabeu there is always pressure, and as the season progresses his relationship with the players will continue to provide a fascinating subplot.

Additional reporting: Guillermo Rai.

This article was originally published in Athletics.