One of Alonso’s priorities at Real Madrid is to create a watertight dressing room, where internal details remain confidential and information about the club in the media is kept to an absolute minimum. However, according to a recent article in The Athletic, the Basque coach is struggling to achieve this goal.
Alonso’s first test: a failure for the locker room
Alonso confirmed earlier this week that his team would train at Valdebebas rather than Anfield ahead of their match against Liverpool, to avoid any tactical information being leaked. It’s something he has focused on since his arrival, and ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, Alonso had communicated the team’s composition to his players in advance.
The technical staff considered this as a first test for the players, which was not successful. More than 24 hours before the match, the press announced the tenure of Gonzalo Garcia Torres. Before the match against Liverpool, it was again leaked that Alonso would field the same team as in the Clasico.
Alonso’s measures against leaks
To combat leaks, he notably limited the number of staff members allowed on the training ground during first-team sessions and asked players to be actively involved to avoid decisions regarding the composition of the team being leaked. He benefits from the support of the club in this approach.
“Xabi is aware and knows perfectly well where the leaks are coming from. It is important to control this on a daily basis,” said an internal source, cited by The Athletic.
These revelations come after several articles indicating that some Real Madrid players are unhappy with Alonso’s management, believing that the Basque coach lacks empathy. One of the focal points of these leaks concerns Vinicius Junior, and it was suggested this week that president Florentino Perez is ready to part ways with him, following growing frustrations over his behavior.
