The Como coach has thus lifted the veil on the reasons why, according to him, his compatriot finds himself under pressure at the Bernabéu this season.
Alonso has been under pressure since a difficult winter at Real.
After a dream start at the helm of Real following his appointment in May, Alonso is now feeling the pressure in the Spanish capital.
Everything looked promising when the 44-year-old, who succeeded Carlo Ancelotti on the Bernabéu bench, led the La Liga giants to 13 wins in their first 14 games in all competitions, notching notable successes like Villarreal and their bitter rivals FC Barcelona in the league and Olympique Marseille in the Champions League.
However, following a string of disappointing results (only five wins in Real Madrid’s last eleven games), Alonso’s future at the club is the subject of much speculation. After three consecutive draws in the league against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona in November, Real quickly found themselves dethroned from first place by Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona.
Alonso’s men also sit seventh in the Champions League table after losing two of their last three matches against Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester City. They also narrowly qualified for the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on December 17, against modest Talavera CF (3-2).
Strained relations between the Spaniard and Vinicius Junior
If Alonso knew how to get the best out of his star striker Kylian Mbappé, the former Bayer Leverkusen coach had to repeatedly justify his relations with Vinicius Junior, with whom he reportedly maintains tense relations.
In the shadow of an inspired Kylian MbappĂ©, scorer of 29 goals in just 24 games this season, Vinicius, meanwhile, has seen his playing time fluctuate under Alonso’s leadership.
After his second-half exit during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in October, DAZN cameras caught the Brazilian speaking to Alonso: “Still me!” I’m leaving the team! It’s better if I leave, I’m leaving. »
Vinicius later apologized to Real fans for his reaction, but made no mention of Alonso, who later insisted he had an “excellent relationship” with the winger.
According to Fabregas, a former player of FC Barcelona, ​​Arsenal and Chelsea, it is the management of a locker room where egos are omnipresent which explains the difficulties encountered by Alonso at Real Madrid.
In comments reported by Spanish daily Marca, the 38-year-old former player – who played alongside Alonso during Spain’s victories at the 2010 World Cup, as well as the 2008 and 2012 Euros – said in a recent documentary chronicling Alonso’s career: “They are all excellent players (the Real players). They all deserve to play. They all think they have to play. They all have to make a difference. They all cost 50 million euros. They all play for their national team. Dealing with this is arguably the hardest thing in the world. »
