Secret Training Renaissance: Alonso Rewinds to Mourinho-era Secrecy Ahead of Liverpool Clash
3 November 2025
Secret training returns to the Mourinho era
Real Madrid's manager Xabi Alonso has revived a Mourinho-era habit by keeping pre-match preparations under tight wraps for Champions League games.
The plan calls for morning training at Valdebebas on match days and travel to the opponent's venue only for the official press conference, in a bid to shield tactical work.
AS reports that this move is a deliberate throwback to Madrid's past, combining privacy with modern tech like drones to analyze performance.
The policy targets European weeks: morning sessions at the club's academy, evening travel, and no training sessions on the rival ground aside from the press conference with Alonso and one player.
Alonso explained the decision during a recent press conference, saying: "Yes, this is my call. We prepare in our own space so cameras don't capture every move." He smiled as he referenced the concern about 200 cameras panning the training ground.
AS notes the approach isn't about silencing media, but about avoiding spying cameras that could reveal tactical details.
The piece frames this as Alonso's belief that training at the opponent's ground exposes the squad to too much information. Since the season began, Madrid has gradually tightened prep, including more technology in training sessions.
Madrid will travel to Liverpool at 4:00 PM, arriving around 5:30 local time, with a hotel stay unchanged from last season. The team will meet at Anfield later for the press conference, at around 19:15 Spanish time, with it still undecided who accompanies the coach.
Injury news adds a dash of concern: Dani Carvajal is sidelined after knee surgery and won't return until 2026; Antonio Rudiger is out with a left thigh issue; David Alaba is dealing with leg fatigue.
Young Franco Mastantuno has joined the casualty list after tests showed an inguinal issue, ruling him out of Anfield duty for now. His condition is not a full rest, but a precise recovery window.
On the positive side, Arda Guler left the previous match with a minor right ankle sprain, but AS suggests he is back to training and could start against Liverpool.
The right-back slot remains a topic of debate: Alonso is weighing keeping Fer Valverde in the role or bringing back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has fully recovered but has not played since mid-September.
The last training session was light, focusing on video analysis and technical work rather than heavy physical load. Valdebebas remains Madrid's constant prep hub, and Alonso's "secret hideaway plan" is now formalized as a club-wide approach ahead of Champions League ties.
Two punchlines to close: If secrecy had a league, Madrid would win every title—it's always the 0-0 mystery with a trophy for stealth. And Alonso's plan is so hush-hush that even the cameras filed a privacy complaint.
