Real Madrid’s decision to part ways with Xabi Alonso continues to dominate headlines across Europe, and the more details that emerge, the clearer it becomes that the split was not sudden.
Instead, it was the result of a project that never received one key piece Alonso repeatedly asked for.
A recent report from AS has now shed light on how the former coach felt let down by the club’s hierarchy despite making his priorities very clear from the start.
When Alonso arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu, he walked into a club that initially showed full trust in him.
The board allowed him to try and apply the successful ideas that had brought him praise in the Bundesliga.
Real Madrid, after all, were seen as a team in need of renewal and tactical evolution.
The club backed him with signings such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro C arreras and Franco Mastantuono, moves that pointed towards a long-term vision rather than short-term fixes.
However, Alonso identified a major issue that went beyond names and profiles. He made it clear that his system needed a midfield organiser, someone who could control the tempo and act as a reference point in possession.
In that context, Alonso highlighted the one player he felt best suited to that role. He told the club that, among the available options, the midfielder he admired most was Martin Zubimendi.
The Spanish international was valued between €60 million and €70 million, a fee considered manageable by Real Madrid standards.
The main obstacle was timing, as Arsenal had already made serious progress in talks for the player.
Real Madrid decided not to back the manager, and by the time they explored the possibility of a move, the door was already closing.
From then on, Alonso expressed his frustration to his coaching staff.
He acknowledged the quality of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham, but he felt the group lacked the physical and positional presence needed to anchor the team.
Alonso experimented with various solutions, but none delivered the balance he was seeking.
Gradually, his original ideas began to lose clarity, and even his belief in high pressing faded as the system failed to function without the right profile in midfield.