"Xabi Alonso has said he's "not paying attention" to speculation about his future at Real Madrid, and insisted a message of support from the club is "not necessary" as his struggling team prepares to face Olympiacos in the Champions League."
""It's demanding," Alonso said, when asked if he was enjoying the role, three months in. "I'm not the first coach that has to deal with these kinds of situations. I think about what Carlo [Ancelotti] or Mou[rinho] would do, [Manuel] Pellegrini too. It isn't new. You have to know how to live with it.""
""[Managing egos] is every bit as important as your footballing idea, your tactical work, your physical work," Alonso said on Tuesday. "It's working with personalities, getting the best out of them. It's a process that has its ups and downs. You have to know how to deal with it in any team, and at Madrid it's fund"
Xabi Alonso is dismissing speculation about his future and considers a public message of support unnecessary while Real Madrid face Olympiacos. Madrid have gone three games without a win, including a defeat at Liverpool and draws at Rayo Vallecano and Elche, increasing pressure on Alonso over selection, tactics and squad management. Despite that run, Madrid sit top of LaLiga, one point ahead of Barcelona, and have nine points from four Champions League games. Reports suggest relationships with some players have suffered, with Vinícius Júnior reportedly unhappy about being benched multiple times. Alonso emphasises that managing egos is fundamental and compares his approach to past managers.
Read at ESPN.com
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