Florentino Perez Defends Xabi Alonso Sacking: ‘It Was Not a Mistake, It Was a Matter of Circumstances’

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has moved to justify the club’s handling of Xabi Alonso’s managerial tenure, insisting the appointment was sound despite ending prematurely in January 2026.

Alonso, who arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu on the back of a celebrated spell at Bayer Leverkusen, was dismissed following a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The loss proved the tipping point for a tenure already undermined by player fatigue and a congested fixture list.

Speaking during a 40-minute appearance on Spanish television programme El Chiringuito de Jugones, Perez addressed the dismissal directly when questioned by host Josep Pedrerol. “No, it was not a mistake. It was a matter of circumstances,” Perez said. “It all stems from the Club World Cup; we didn’t have a pre-season. When you don’t have a preseason, you suffer physically. We thought the change would help, but it only worked for a bit before they fell apart again.”

The Club World Cup reference is significant. Real Madrid’s participation in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup during the summer of 2025 effectively eliminated their traditional pre-season window, leaving the squad without adequate physical preparation ahead of the 2025-26 campaign — a factor Perez argues was central to the team’s subsequent decline in form.

Alonso had been widely regarded as one of European football’s most promising coaches following his historic unbeaten Bundesliga season with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24, during which the German side also lifted the DFB-Pokal and reached the Europa League final. His move to Madrid was seen as a natural step up, yet the structural conditions at the club proved difficult to overcome.

Following Alonso’s exit, former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa was installed as interim head coach. Arbeloa, whose previous managerial experience was largely limited to youth football at the club, has himself faced a turbulent period at the helm.

The season’s results have done little to ease the pressure on Madrid’s leadership. The club finished behind Barcelona in the LaLiga title race and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich — falling short in both of their primary competitions for the campaign.

With presidential elections approaching, Perez faces mounting scrutiny over the club’s direction. A central decision looming for Madrid’s board is whether to confirm Arbeloa as permanent manager or pursue an external appointment ahead of the 2026-27 season. The long-term futures of key figures within the squad, including Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr, are also understood to be under active consideration.

Alonso, meanwhile, remains one of the most coveted managerial names in European football. His availability following the Madrid departure is likely to attract significant interest from top clubs across the continent when the summer transfer window opens.