The fallout between coach and players led to Alonso’s dismissal, yet Florentino still hopes for a “Zidane-style redemption.”

Written by Han Bing The Supercopa de España, dismissed by Alonso as the “least significant trophy,” ended up being the last straw that led to his downfall. On the evening of January 12, a day after Real Madrid’s defeat in the Supercopa, the club “suddenly yet unsurprisingly” announced Alonso’s departure. Club president Florentino once again prioritized stars and trophies over the coach. Meanwhile, B team coach Averoia, long known by Spanish media as the designated successor and dubbed the “second Zidane,” took over without controversy.

As early as early December last year, following Real Madrid’s loss to Celta, Florentino was already considering a coaching change. At that time, Spanish media widely believed that the Supercopa in early January would be the decisive moment for Alonso’s position. Real Madrid reached the final with five consecutive wins, but Alonso ultimately failed to pass the dual test of winning the trophy and the El Clásico. The “cold” embrace between Florentino and Alonso at the Supercopa award ceremony foreshadowed Alonso’s fate.

Reporter Pereiro revealed that on the flight back after the Supercopa, Alonso had a final conversation with Real Madrid CEO Sanchez. Alonso admitted he lacked both the vision to lead the team out of difficulties and the means to unify the dressing room. The club’s management quickly made their decision. According to Marca, on the afternoon of January 13, Spanish time, Real Madrid initiated the termination talks. Discussions focused on reviewing the season so far, the current state of the locker room, and future team planning—areas where Alonso was powerless to provide solutions. Although reluctant, Alonso had no choice but to accept the termination.

Alonso’s inability to command the dressing room was the primary reason for his dismissal, with Florentino once again siding with the stars over the coach. After Vinícius publicly questioned Alonso’s authority following last year’s El Clásico substitution, Real Madrid did not punish the player but instead left Alonso to face the crisis alone, causing a rift between coach and players as well as a loss of trust between Alonso and Florentino. This mirrors the 2018 decision when the club president favored Bale over Zidane.

The relationship between Vinícius and Alonso grew increasingly tense, and players like Valverde and Bellingham strongly resisted Alonso’s tactical system and training methods. Although Mbappé and Courtois performed excellently on both ends, they remained silent on Alonso’s future. Alonso’s tactical instructions were rarely fully implemented, facing the same “internal motivation bottleneck” in the locker room as last season under Ancelotti, effectively losing dressing room support.

As Baldano stated, Alonso never received full backing from Real Madrid. He wished for Modrić to play another year to ensure a smooth transition, but this gentleman’s agreement between coach and club was rejected by higher management. Florentino spent over €60 million to bring in the inexperienced La Liga rookie midfielder Mastantuono, while letting Arsenal sign Spain’s current best defensive midfielder, Suvimenti. The lack of a “brain” player in midfield this season is the main technical reason for Real Madrid’s inconsistent results.

Courtois’s frequent long passes against Atlético and Barcelona stemmed from losing control in midfield. Florentino criticized Real Madrid for playing like a “small team” relying only on counterattacks and was furious after the final loss. Alonso’s refusal to reinstate fitness coach Pintus worsened their distrust. Florentino had already considered a coaching change by the end of last year, but Alonso’s ungraceful defeat in the Supercopa and El Clásico gave the president a respectable excuse.

With Alonso’s dismissal, Florentino has surpassed Real Madrid legend Bernabéu as the club president with the most coaching changes in history. Averoia, Alonso’s successor, is the 17th head coach under Florentino’s tenure. Bernabéu managed Real Madrid for 34 seasons, replacing 16 coaches, while Florentino’s two terms totaling 22.5 seasons have already exceeded that number. From 2000 to 2006, six coaches were replaced during his first term; since 2009, eleven replacements have occurred in his second term, with Zidane and Ancelotti each having two spells.

Spanish media had already recognized that Real Madrid’s management considered Averoia the natural successor to Alonso. The club president still holds a vision for a “Zidane-style redemption,” and objectively, no top-tier coach is immediately available on the market. Appointing Averoia as a caretaker for the rest of the season is the simplest and safest solution.

Raúl, who coached Real Madrid B for six years without getting the chance, was surpassed by Averoia who achieved this in less than five months, even faster than Zidane. Since Averoia began coaching Real Madrid’s youth teams six years ago, he has been seen as the club’s future head coach in comparison to Zidane’s development path.

In the 2020/21 season, he led Real Madrid’s Juvenil A team to an undefeated championship (15 wins and 2 draws in 17 matches). Two years later, he was promoted to head coach of Real Madrid’s Youth A team. In the 2023/24 season, he guided the team to a treble in youth competitions, with a record of 41 wins, 5 draws, and only 1 loss in 47 matches across four tournaments. This season, after being promoted to coach Real Madrid B, he achieved his ultimate goal of managing the first team in just five months.

Today, Averoia officially took charge of Real Madrid’s training, with his debut set for the King’s Cup match away at Albacete on the evening of January 14. Real Madrid has turned the page on Alonso and started a brand-new chapter.