Ultimately, the news will not come as a surprise to Real Madrid fans, although fans I have spoken to still say it is premature and are disappointed.
Alonso’s position has been under scrutiny for several months, with a series of negative results steadily reducing confidence in his leadership and boos during recent matches revealing fans’ discontent with the team’s performance.
A shock 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo in December left Madrid four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and sparked internal discussions about their future. That pressure intensified after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League, which coincided with a prolonged period of inconsistent performances. Some fans expected Alonso to be fired after that match.
The decisive moment came on Sunday, when Real Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Super Cup final. Although Real were without Mbappé for most of the match and missed a vital last-minute opportunity to take the final to penalties, the defeat left Florentino Pérez with no other option.
Combined with being four points behind their rivals at the top of La Liga and sitting seventh in the Champions League standings, the defeat ultimately sealed Alonso’s fate.
Another factor that could have influenced the decision was the increasingly tense relationship between Alonso and Vinicius Junior.
Reports said their relationship deteriorated after Vinicius reacted angrily to being substituted in El Clasico, and that the striker was left out of the starting line-up several times subsequently, further damaging ties.
As one of Real Madrid’s most decisive attacking players, any tension involving Vinicius inevitably carried weight within the club.
However, Alonso later spoke about the matter saying it was resolved and insisted the relationship was good.
Before last weekend’s Super Cup final, Jude Bellingham was asked about Alonso’s future at Real Madrid.
He made it clear that the dressing room fully supports the coach: “At Madrid there is a tendency to exaggerate a little in bad moments, but that’s why we are here. That’s why we love it. From my point of view, we all support it, but the decisions are way above my head.”
“We know what happens inside the locker room. Many of the bad moments are invented or exaggerated. The stories from outside don’t help because they give a misleading representation to the fans, but we are behind the coach. And we are 100% behind Vini. There is no problem.”
It is a reminder of Real Madrid’s relentless standards.
In the 34 games that Alonso coached, Real won 24 of them, lost six and tied four.
As Ignacio, a Real Madrid fan, tells me, “Madrid is a very demanding club and we have very little patience, which is good to a certain extent because it is part of what makes us great. But I think this is a mistake. We still have a chance in all competitions and the fans are behind Xabi, who is a legend of the club.”