Xabi Alonso Leaves Real Madrid

ESPN FC

ESPN

Sports, Soccer

4.2 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2026

⏱️ 98 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The FC crew react to Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid by mutual consent and argue whether the manager was ever a good fit for the club. Plus, the guys break down how they think Alvaro Arbeloa will manage the big personalities in the Real Madrid dressing room. Steve Nicol also reacts to Liverpool's FA Cup victory and questions if the club is still headed in the right direction under Arne Slot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPNFC K Murray, Craig Burley and Stevie
0:08.5	Nickel here in the studio and the big news today is the departure of Shabby Alonso as Real Madrid
0:14.6	Coach Club statement today saying that the two would be parting ways by mutual consent.
0:20.3	Just a reminder of how things have played out.
0:21.6	He was appointed at the beginning of the season in the summer for 2025.
0:26.6	We saw him come in.
0:28.6	And on July 9, 2025, he loses to PSG because he takes over for the Club World Cup.
0:33.6	They lose out in the semifinals there, 4-0 as well, a quite significant loss. As the season opened, it starts great. Seven straight wins for Real Madrid and everybody's happy. Well, not Vinnie. Not Vinny. He was... He might be a bit happier now. Things got really well, even after they had lost to Athlete, which didn't go down too well. They did
0:54.5	win his first classical in La Liga however. As Craig mentioned, we start to see some of those
0:58.8	cracks with Vinny. He had a tantrum as he was subbed off. November the first 2025, 113 of their
1:04.8	first 14 games. That one that wasn't one was at the Metropolitano. Two wins in eight games, November 4th through December 10th.
1:12.6	This is when the problems really started to show.
1:15.6	We started to see the rumors of togs behind the scenes between the boards,
1:19.6	with the players as well in the dressing room.
1:21.6	Five straight games though as we go over the Christmas period and into the new year.
1:26.6	And then came the Spanish Supercopa final
1:29.3	it was to Barcelona a repeat of last year's final and Real Madrid would lose three
1:34.3	two and then the news came today this morning that Chabby Alonso would be leaving
1:39.4	Real Madrid by mutual consent. Our Madrid correspondent Alex Alex Kirkland, is with us now.
1:46.3	Let's get to the bottom of this, as to why this has been the case, the reasons behind Shabby
1:50.4	Alonso's early departure as Real Madrid head coach, Alex.
1:55.4	Yeah, the big question is why now?
	...

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