NO GIFTS FOR XABI ALONSO
Going into Wednesday night's clash with Manchester City, the future of Xabi Alonso as head coach seemed as up in the air like a Spanish omelette being flipped. Just a handful of matches into his reign, the only major stain on the 44-year-old’s record had been a shocking 5-2 hammering at the hands of Atlético. But, from the beginning of last month, Madrid have only won three in nine, with arguably their most unpalatable results being stalemates with supposed La Liga cannon fodder, culminating in Sunday’s humiliating loss at the Bernabéu to Celta Vigo.
In the premier club competition, they still look set to claim a crucial quarter-final place even after their loss at the hands of Pep Guardiola's side, a defeat that was met with loud boos of disapproval from demanding supporters that had just seen injury-hit squad play reasonably well.
"If you fail to win in your own stadium that can happen," sighed Alonso of the reaction from the notoriously demanding faithful. "We kept going, we tried until the end and with all the difficulties we are facing [with injuries] everyone left it all on the pitch. Today there is nothing to fault. Our form over the past two months haven’t been good, or what we wanted. We are analyzing ourselves, but must continue working and have faith that things will improve."
Amid speculation Madrid’s high-profile stars have little or no truck with Alonso's demands for tactical drills, endure lengthy analysis sessions and attend mandatory evening seminars on the economic history of the Galician fishing industry, there was plenty of public backing for the under-pressure boss.
After netting the first goal, Rodrygo high-fived Alonso on the touchline, with both Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham offering supportive post-match references in front of the TV cameras. "The manager’s been great," stated the England star, in what some might call unedifying sycophancy he might do well to replicate next time he’s on England duty. "I’ve personally have a fantastic rapport with him, a lot of the guys do as well. Following our initial spell when we had some draws, we held productive talks within the group. In the last couple of games, we’ve just not been good enough again. But nobody is giving up, no one is complaining, moaning, thinking the season is over."
Although it might be unusual for the UK press to distort Bellingham's words to fit a narrative, one might suggest that in stating that “a lot” of his teammates have a good relationship with the coach, he was subtly hinting that quite a few others don’t. Vinícius Júnior clearly hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with his boss and he is said to have informed Madrid’s overlords he will not sign a contract extension while Alonso is the coach. It makes you think what the Brazilian made of the next day's coverage in Spain, that offered Alonso a free pass for this defeat while laying the blame squarely at Viní’s wasteful feet.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY
"Free speech and privacy rights are universal human rights. No football fan gives up those freedoms simply because they cross a border. This policy creates a chilling atmosphere of surveillance that directly contradicts the inclusive ethos the tournament is meant to embody and it must be withdrawn at once" – a supporters' group director, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, criticizes a proposed policy requiring fans heading to the United States for the GWC to provide details regarding their online profiles.
