‘What a load of s**t’ – Real Madrid star Bellingham blasts ‘damaging’ Xabi Alonso report

Jason Soutar
Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham during a pre-match warm-up
Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham during a pre-match warm-up

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has hit back at reports claiming he did not enjoy playing for Xabi Alonso, calling out journalists and their ‘sources’ for spreading ‘damaging misinformation’.

Bellingham responded to reports claiming he did not enjoy playing for Xabi Alonso, who left Real Madrid on Monday.

Alonso won 20 of his 28 games in charge of the Spanish giants but was relieved of his duties following Sunday’s Super Cup final defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona.

Why Xabi Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid

  • Player power became too much; changing the coach was always the easiest attempt to fix things
  • Vinicius “at the centre” of the situation for months and reportedly did not enjoy playing for Alonso
  • El Clasico defeat in the Super Cup final deemed the final straw
  • Club say it was a “mutual decision”, but this reeks of a good old-fashioned sacking

There have been quite a few deep dives into how Alonso’s Madrid reign unravelled, with player power seemingly the biggest contributing factor.

Alonso replaced laid-back boss Carlo Ancelotti and tried to instil discipline and a work ethic the players did not appreciate, with the ‘Galacticos’ coming across more like petulant children than superstar footballers.

Ultimately, being unable to get players like Vinicius Junior on board was Alonso’s downfall, with a report from The Athletic saying the three players ‘unconvinced by his footballing ideas and personal approach’ were Vinicius, Bellingham and Federico Valverde.

The fascinating article from Mario Cortegana and Guillermo Rai stated that the following players ‘believed in the coach’: Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Dani Ceballos and Raul Asencio.

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However, Vinicius was ‘at the centre of the fallout, which lasted for months’. His outburst towards his head coach after being substituted against Barcelona in late October, which the club decided not to fine the Brazilian winger for, was ‘the point at which Alonso began to definitively lose the dressing room’.

A source told the website: ‘The problem is not Xabi. Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Bellingham are incompatible; you can’t have a balanced team with those three.’

Another said it’s extremely difficult ‘coaching players with such big egos’ and a second said Madrid did not have ‘a team interested in training’.

A player told The Athletic in December: ‘It’s crystal clear that it’s not a coaching problem.’

Jude Bellingham furious over Xabi Alonso report

Despite the club describing Alonso’s exit as a mutual agreement, which was very much a sacking, Bellingham hit back at the reporting.

Bellingham responded angrily on social media, saying: “Until now I’ve let far too many of these slide, always hoping the truth will come to light in its own time. But honestly… What a load of s**t.

“Truly feel sorry for the people that hang onto the every word of these clowns and their ‘sources’.

“Do not believe everything you read, every now and then these lot need to be held accountable for spreading this kind of damaging misinformation for clicks and added controversy.”

Where will Xabi Alonso go next?

Alvaro Arbeloa, Alonso’s long-time friend, was immediately placed in charge of the first team following the former Liverpool midfielder’s exit.

It was a brutal dismissal of a manager whose reputation remains largely intact despite lasting less than nine months in the role.

The former Bayer Leverkusen boss will not be short of suitors and is reportedly keen to return to management soon.

Manchester United are searching for a new head coach and could do far worse, though it remains unclear whether Alonso would be open to a move to Old Trafford.

Not only is he likely to expect better offers, but Alonso remains highly regarded at Liverpool – both by the club’s hierarchy and its supporters.

With Arne Slot walking on thin ice, Alonso may well be holding out for the Anfield job, and his availability can only be bad news for the Dutchman.

MAILBOX: Arne Slot ‘undermined’ as Xabi Alonso lined up as next Liverpool manager?

Real Madrid Jude Bellingham

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