"So, Xabi Alonso becomes the tenth permanent Real Madrid manager of Florentino Pérez's 21-plus-year presidential reign to be sacked without even completing a year in charge. Just when the 44-year-old Madrid playing legend seemed to have calmed the stormy waters that had threatened to overwhelm him since autumn, the biggest sin in the entire dictionary of Must Not Commit for Bernabéu managers, losing to Barcelona when a trophy is at stake, has cost him his job. Those around the Basque -- who leaves with Madrid only four points off the top in LaLiga, safely in the UEFA Champions League top eight and with a nervy Copa del Rey tie at Albacete on Wednesday -- will look back at the final instants of Sunday's Supercopa final and think dark thoughts about Álvaro Carreras and Raúl Asencio, who each had absolutely point-blank chances to score and take the final to penalties."
"Alonso, in retrospect, stands condemned, at least in the eyes of Pérez -- the only person whose opinion matters when a coach's fate is concerned -- of several offenses. First: the damage done to Alonso's public reputation and club credibility when, on substituting Vinícius Júnior in the victorious Clásico last October, the Brazil international erupted in petulant anger while showing complete disrespect for his manager. Even in victory, the player's immaturity hogged the headlines because he screamed into the night air, " This is why I'm going to leave this team. This is why I'm leaving!" Pérez wants Vinícius to renew his contract, at all costs. So although Alonso palpably repaired much of the damage with his 24-year-old star, and on Sunday helped him produce his best goal and best performance since Carlo Ancelotti left, it's now clear that irreparable damag"
Xabi Alonso was dismissed as Real Madrid manager less than a year into his tenure after losing the Supercopa final to Barcelona. The final featured late, point-blank misses that denied Madrid a chance at penalties. Alonso's reputation suffered after Vinícius Júnior publicly erupted when substituted in a prior Clásico, an episode that damaged Alonso's credibility with Florentino Pérez. Pérez prioritizes securing Vinícius's contract renewal. Alonso had improved the player's performances and kept Madrid competitive in LaLiga and the Champions League, but the Barcelona defeat and reputational damage proved decisive.
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