Real Madrid sack Alonso + what records can Bayern break?
The Totally Football Show with James Richardson
The Athletic
4.5 • 4.4K Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2026
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jimbo’s joined by Seb Stafford-Bloor, Pol Ballús & James Horncastle for a deep-dive into all the latest action and headlines from across the continent.
There’s only one place to start - and the news that broke late on Monday afternoon that Xabi Alonso has been sacked as Real Madrid head coach - and replaced by the club’s reserve team coach Alvaro Arbeloa. The Athletic’s Guillermo Rai joins us for the immediate reaction to the news which followed the 3-2 defeat by dear friends Barcelona in the Supercopa on Sunday evening.
There’s drama of a title race variety in Italy - where the hunt for the Scudetto was reignited once again as Inter, Milan and Napoli all dropped points to open the door for chasers Roma and Juventus.
And in Germany - the Bundesliga returned from the Winterpause in style with goals galore across the weekend including Bayern putting EIGHT past Wolfsburg, while Frankfurt and Dortmund played out a 3-3 thriller on Friday night. Vincent Kompany’s side couldn’t win the title by a record-breaking points margin, could they?
All that plus the latest from the Coupe de France as Endrick marks his debut for Lyon with a winning goal, reminiscing on the ‘Mohawk Trident’ - and dramatic snowscapes in Hamburg.
Produced by Lucy Oliva.
RUNNING ORDER:
• PART 1: Moments of the weekend - pencils, dodgy banners and fairytale ascents (00.45)
• PART 2: La Liga review - Alonso out! Arbeloa in! With Guillermo Rai (12.45)
• PART 3: Serie A review - Yet another title race turn (27.30)
• PART 4: Ligue 1 review - Endrick’s goal on debut and tapestries… (45.05)
• PART 5: Bundesliga review - Bayern’s total dominance and intriguing Kovac (48.15)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Athletic FC |
| 0:03.1 | Totally Football Show |
| 0:11.7 | European edition |
| 0:12.9 | This week, Rail Madrid |
| 0:14.8 | Sack Javi Alonzo |
| 0:16.3 | We analyse the shavi treatment |
| 0:18.4 | And ask, is Arnboloa the perfect replacement? |
| 0:21.3 | Because that's what Real Arta-Basar. |
| 0:23.0 | Then, tarting it up, Scott McTominee stars in Sunday's big Inter-Napleys showdown. |
| 0:28.1 | More stupid numbers from FC Bayern, Bayon, Bayer's remorse at Levikuz, |
| 0:31.9 | and a kiss with Kovach in the Bundesliga and French Cup News too in this totally football show. |
| 0:44.8 | Thank you for me. Bundesliga and French Cup News too in this totally football show. Monday 12th of January, listener, thank you so much for joining us. |
| 0:48.2 | We've got the Euro edition currently scrambling to bring you Monday afternoon's shock news from Madrid. |
| 0:53.5 | Of course, we've got Gilema Rai. |
| 0:54.8 | Joining us very, very shortly. |
| 0:56.3 | Meantime, Seb Stuffabloor, Paul Belus and James Horncastle. |
| 1:00.1 | Hello. |
| 1:01.3 | Hello, everybody. |
| 1:02.3 | Hello, hello. |
| 1:03.9 | How are you? |
| 1:04.7 | Hang on, we're remote today. |
| 1:06.1 | What's happened? |
... |
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