Alonso’s Fiery Outburst: Real Madrid, Turmoil, and a Nursery Debate
13 January 2026
The Outburst That Shook Real Madrid
New details have emerged behind the crisis that ended with Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid, after Spanish reports of a sharp rift between the Basque coach and the squad from early November, seen later as one of the first sparks of the club's turmoil.
Clash, Coaching, and Consequences
According to Marca, Alonso showed sharp anger during a training, citing what he saw as a lack of commitment and focus from the players, as whispers and frowns grew and a flood of instructions followed, prompting him to shout: 'I didn't know I was coming to coach some kids in a nursery'.
Spanish reports noted several Real Madrid players found Alonso's sessions exhausting, overwhelmed by a flood of tactical instructions in a short span, causing mental fatigue and mutterings in the locker room and widening the gap between the sides.
Meanwhile, Alonso believed the squad fell short of his standards—discipline, tactical clarity, and team spirit—pushing him to speed development, without full backing from management or trust from some stars, as earlier reports described locker-room friction and lingering doubts everywhere.
And the incident aligns with chatter about his firing, signaling tensions with players, and his sense that his tactical demands were ignored, with attempts to impose decisions on him without consensus, making continuation seem impossible after loss to Barcelona in the Cup final; punchlines: nursery coach, locker-room map.