Real Madrid Players Unite Behind Xabi Alonso Despite Fourth Defeat of the Season
Real Madrid suffered their fourth defeat of the season on Wednesday night, falling to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The loss increases the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso, who now finds himself with two consecutive defeats and only two wins in the last eight matches.
Even with the negative run and recent reports suggesting that parts of the dressing room were not fully aligned with Alonso, several players stepped forward to publicly defend their coach. While the result against City was disappointing, many within the squad acknowledged that the team finally displayed the necessary intensity.
Rodrygo: “It’s a difficult moment for Alonso”
Rodrygo Goes, who has seen limited minutes this season, was spotted embracing his manager after the final whistle.
“It’s a difficult time for him, just like it is for us. Things aren’t going well, and he wanted to show that we’re all in this together. There’s a lot of talk, but I want to say this clearly: we’re united, and we need that unity to move forward and achieve our goals,”
— via Diario AS
Jude Bellingham: “The coach is great”
There have been rumors suggesting tension between Alonso and Jude Bellingham, but the English midfielder dismissed these claims.
“The coach is great. I personally have an excellent relationship with him. After our run of draws, we had strong internal conversations and felt we had moved past that stretch. Nobody’s giving up, nobody is complaining.”
Bellingham added that the squad is still trying to fix the situation together, and that responsibility lies primarily within the dressing room.
Thibaut Courtois: “We showed we’re alive”
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, known to be strongly aligned with Alonso’s methods, once again supported the coach after the match.
“We didn’t see the City game as a test for him. We wanted to win because we know the situation: we’ve dropped too many points in the league, and even though the Champions League is going well, we can’t risk falling out of the top eight. Today we showed we’re behind the manager, giving 100%. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Raul Asencio: “The dressing room is 100% behind Xabi Alonso”
Despite reduced playing time, defender Raul Asencio also confirmed that the locker room stands firmly behind the manager.
“The dressing room understands Alonso’s message. We’re 100% behind him, and the atmosphere at Valdebebas is very good. The situation is unusual for Real Madrid, but the only thing we can control is our attitude — and today, that attitude changed.”
Before the match, Aurelien Tchouameni had also defended Alonso, insisting that the responsibility lies with the players. After the defeat, Alonso maintained a calm outlook, saying there was “nothing to reproach the players for.”
MadridistasZone view
In my opinion, this reaction from the players was necessary. The team is clearly struggling, but unity inside the dressing room is the first step toward recovery. Now it’s time to turn these words into results on the pitch.