Xabi Alonso rewrites El Clasico history in the style of Zidane

For the last 16 years, only one Real Madrid manager managed to win his debut El Clasico, and that was Zinedine Zidane. Today, Xabi Alonso has matched this achievement, ending the “jinx” that plagued former coaches.

The 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Santiago Bernabéu not only solidified Los Blancos’ position at the top of La Liga but also marked a symbolic milestone for Xabi Alonso’s new era. The Spanish tactician became the first Real Madrid coach since 2016 to win his opening El Clasico, a challenge many predecessors failed to overcome.

Since Manuel Pellegrini’s debut El Clasico in 2009, which ended in a narrow 0-1 defeat to Barca (Ibrahimovic scoring), Real Madrid has seen a string of new coaches stumble in their first big clash. Pellegrini, once highly anticipated by Florentino Perez, saw his project collapse by season’s end after that loss.

Following that, Jose Mourinho—who had previously defeated Barca with Inter in the Champions League—was shocked by a 0-5 defeat in his first El Clasico leading Real. This heavy loss forced the “Special One” to spend months rebuilding the team’s morale.

In 2013, Carlo Ancelotti also started his El Clasico tenure with a 1-2 loss at Camp Nou. Although he later secured Real’s 10th Champions League title (“La Decima”), the scar from that Barca defeat made for a difficult beginning.

Even worse was Rafa Benítez, who lasted just over half a season. After a 0-4 loss to Barcelona at Bernabeu in November 2015, he was dismissed within weeks. His successor, Julen Lopetegui, suffered a 1-5 thrashing by Barcelona in October 2018, which led to his firing just three days later.

After this tragic sequence, Zidane broke the pattern by winning 2-1 at Camp Nou in his first El Clasico in 2016. That victory launched a golden era for Real, bringing three consecutive Champions League titles.

Now, Xabi Alonso echoes Zidane’s footsteps by impressively overcoming his first challenge. Under his leadership, Real Madrid played with determination, defeating Barca with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, two stars symbolizing the club’s new generation.