Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso opened up after his team’s tough loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final.
The 0-4 defeat was a hard pill to swallow, and Alonso did not hide his frustration. However, he remained calm and made it clear that this loss does not define what’s ahead for Real Madrid.
Alonso admitted that the team started with the right mindset but lost control early. "We wanted to start strong because we knew how good PSG is."
"But after the 10th minute, it got tough. We didn’t feel right on the pitch. It hurt to be down 3-0 by half-time. At 2-0, there’s still a bit of hope, but the third goal was a blow," he explained.
Despite the disappointment, Alonso chose to see the bigger picture. "This shows how much more work we need to do. PSG is in great shape, and we still have areas to improve."
"We’ve been playing with very little time to train. Now we’ll rest for a few weeks and come back stronger."
"This isn’t the starting point for next season. There are positive things in this process, maybe not today. But today isn’t the start of next season, it’s the end of the last one."
The match also marked the farewell for two club veterans, Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez. Alonso acknowledged their contributions:
"It’s not the farewell they deserved, but I tried to make sure they enjoyed their final days in a Madrid shirt. We thank them for everything they’ve given."
On the absence of Rodrygo in the match, Alonso said, "It was just a tactical choice. We needed something different today. This match wasn’t about planning the future."
When asked about the partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., Alonso kept things simple: "Mistakes teach us. If we keep repeating them, we’ll get nowhere. Today was a lesson."
Looking ahead, he hinted that new signings might be considered. "We haven’t talked about the composition of the squad during the World Cup, but we’re always looking to improve. There’s room for improvement," he noted.
This wasn’t the ending Real Madrid hoped for, but Alonso believes it is just part of a larger journey, not the beginning of the next chapter, but the final page of this one.