It has been a roller-coaster ride for Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager. They began the season well and also won the El Clasico encounter convincingly against Barcelona. At point, they were also five points clear at the top in La Liga. However, all that has come crashing down and Real Madrid are currently four points behind Barcelona in the title race.
The 0-2 defeat to Celta Vigo at home has only furthered Alonso's troubles with the club hierarachy who are unhappy with the lack of cohesion between the players and manager. The last five La Liga games have only seen one victory and the Madrid management is reportedly in panic mode, as symbolised by their emergency meeting on Monday morning.
According to El Mundo, Los Blancos' upcoming Champions League fixture against Manchester City on December 10 could be a make-or-break game for Alonso's managerial future. In fact, it doesn't seem like the Spaniard would last the season in any case. Real Madrid hierarchy has already started to look for alternate options and two big names are in the race.
#ÚltimaHora🔴 Reunión de madrugada en el Bernabéu para tratar el futuro de Xabi Alonso: el Madrid ya sondea el mercado de entrenadores https://t.co/RkiYEf9X1U
— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) December 8, 2025
Jurgen Klopp, who led Liverpool to a remarkable transition in terms of stats and persona, is one of the candidates and his appointment could be a fresh move for the club. The other choice is their former player and two-times manager Zinedine Zidane who has always had a strong rapport with Real Madrid.
Apart from his dressing room tussles with star players, Alonso has also come under fire for his post-match statements, some of which haven't gone down well with Madrid's top brass. As things stand, Alonso himself is aware of the massive pressure on his shoulders but is clearly not showcasing it in his statements.
"We're playing for three points," said Alonso when asked about the Wednesday deadline regarding the City fixture.
