Kylian Mbappé Blames Real Madrid’s Collapse on Loss of Structure After Xabi Alonso Sacking

Kylian Mbappé has made his most candid public remarks yet about Real Madrid’s catastrophic 2025/26 season, strongly suggesting that the mid-campaign dismissal of manager Xabi Alonso was the turning point that unravelled the club’s prospects of winning silverware.

Speaking after a season in which Real Madrid failed to lift a single trophy, the French captain did not mince his words when identifying where things went wrong. “We started the season well. Then we lost everything in the second half of the season. It hurts a lot; I feel like we had a playing style, a structure, and we lost it,” Mbappé said.

The timing of the collapse he describes aligns directly with the period following Alonso’s departure. The Spanish tactician had been working to embed an organised and systematic playing philosophy at the Santiago Bernabéu before his abrupt exit from the role. By framing the team’s decline around the loss of “structure” — a word closely associated with Alonso’s methodical approach — Mbappé’s comments function as a tacit endorsement of the dismissed manager.

The decision to remove Alonso was reportedly driven by deep tensions within the dressing room, with Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior identified as among the most influential figures pushing for the change. According to reports, several prominent players had grown frustrated with Alonso’s rigid tactical demands and his substitution decisions. Mbappé, however, is said to have thrived within that same framework, benefiting from the structure rather than chafing against it — which helps explain why his position on the sacking differed markedly from that of certain teammates.

Mbappé’s public remarks now carry added weight given the broader political dynamics at the club. Reports suggest the 26-year-old is already experiencing friction with current coach Álvaro Arbeloa, making his latest comments appear to serve a dual purpose: a retrospective defence of Alonso and a signal to the Real Madrid board about the direction of the club’s managerial decision-making.

The 2025/26 campaign represents a significant low point for a club that had won the UEFA Champions League in 2023/24 and La Liga in consecutive seasons prior. Mbappé himself joined Real Madrid ahead of the 2024/25 season after years of speculation, having previously captained Paris Saint-Germain. His arrival was heralded as the completion of one of the most anticipated transfers in football history, making this season’s collective failure all the more striking.

Real Madrid’s president Florentino Pérez is also reportedly facing pressure from sections of the club’s fanbase following the disappointing campaign, with confrontations between club officials and disgruntled supporters reportedly occurring in the aftermath of the season’s conclusion.

With the summer transfer window approaching and questions surrounding the managerial structure at the Bernabéu still unresolved, Mbappé’s public comments are likely to intensify scrutiny on the club’s leadership and its handling of the coaching situation throughout the season.