According to a report from Defensa Central, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso personally apologised to Arda Guler after the painful defeat to Atletico Madrid.
The coach admitted that he may have made the wrong call by taking the Turkish star off the pitch, especially since he was the only midfielder consistently finding ways to link up with Kylian Mbappe.
Alonso didn’t hide his doubts and even shared them directly with Guler after the match.
"Maybe I made a mistake and I shouldn’t have taken you off," he reportedly told the youngster.
The loss against Atletico Madrid was a huge blow, and Alonso himself has been heavily criticised for some of his choices.
But the coach knows that the only way forward is to learn from setbacks. Accepting errors and using them to grow as a team is the path he wants Madrid to follow.
Before being taken off, Guler had been Real Madrid’s standout performer. He already has three goals and three assists in La Liga, and against Atletico, he once again proved his worth.
Guler set up a chance for Mbappe and also scored, showing that he was one of the few players trying to create meaningful play in midfield.
Despite that, Alonso made the tough decision to replace him. It was a call that backfired, and the manager’s immediate apology proves he knew just how important the youngster was during the derby.
Even though the derby loss has left a bitter taste, Alonso is still fully convinced of Guler’s role in the team.
His plan is to keep the Turk starting in most matches, given the creativity and spark he brings.
The coach cannot erase what happened in the derby, but he can ensure the same mistakes are not repeated.