Barely arrived, already warned. While Xabi Alonso completes his first month at the head of Real Madrid, the Basque technician sees the warnings multiply. One of them directly targets two of the most explosive elements of its locker room. A duo capable of switching any match … but also of unbalanced a collective so badly supervised. And this alert does not come from anyone.
It was Jürgen Klinsmann, a former Germany coach and the end of European football observer, who launched the alert. In an interview with Marca, the 1990 world champion expressed his doubts about Alonso's ability to defend Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior. “The teams with Messi are the only ones who can afford to defend ten. Even Real Madrid tries to bring back Mbappé and Vinicius in the defensive withdrawal … Do I think Xabi will get there? Not really “, He slipped, smiling.
Mbappé + Vinicius = Risk for Real? Klinsmann warns
“They don't run!” : a former coach is worried about Xabi Alonso
The problem would not be technical, but behavioral. Klinsmann underlines the assertive personality of the two players. “Mbappé is no longer a child. Vinicius sees that the others do not defend, so he does not do it ”he believes. A heritage that Xabi will have to manage with subtlety, by imposing its principles without offending his stars. A challenge that recalls past failures, as in Paris with Neymar, Mbappé and Messi, where collective balance had eventually collapsing.
For Klinsmann, Alonso's success in Real Madrid will also depend on his ability to integrate these talents into a demanding overall project. “I'm sure the team will compensate and get the most out of both”, he nuances. But in filigree, the warning is clear: even the biggest players must be part of a collective logic. It is up to Xabi to prove that he has his shoulders to manage this fire cloakroom.
