Real Madrid dismiss Alonso after Supercopa de Espana defeat

Real Madrid have dismissed head coach Xabi Alonso following their defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana.

Alonso’s position had reportedly been under threat for a number of months, with poor results and suggestions of disagreements with players surrounding his time in charge.

However, it was the disappointment of Sunday’s Clasico result that marked the end for him.

Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in Jeddah thanks to Raphinha’s second-half goal; Los Blancos had fought back to level the score in first-half stoppage time but squandered two chances to take the match to penalties.

He leaves with Madrid second in LaLiga, four points behind Hansi Flick’s side in the table.

Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the Club World Cup, in which they reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain. He was tipped as the next long-term Madrid boss, yet has lasted just seven months.

Official Announcement: Xabi Alonso.

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) January 12, 2026

“Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madridismo because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home,” the club said in a statement announcing the decision.

“Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication throughout this time and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso oversaw 34 games for Madrid, winning 24 of those matches (D4 L6), and boasting a 70.6% win rate.

Overall, of the permanent coaches to take charge of Madrid, Alonso has the fifth-best win rate, after Manuel Pellegrini (75%), Ancelotti (74.8%), Radomir Antic (72.2%) and Jose Mourinho (71.9%).

His spell at Madrid followed a successful tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, whom he led to the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles in an unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24.

While at Leverkusen, he won 148 of his 235 games in all competitions, with his team netting 517 goals.

Los Blancos are next in action in the Copa del Rey round of 32 against Albacete on Wednesday.