Xabi Alonso lost his job as Real Madrid manager after losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona.
Alonso only took over from Carlo Ancelotti in the summer but leaves with Real four points behind their El Clasico rivals in La Liga.
Los Blancos are seventh in the Champions League table, putting them on course to progress directly to the knockout stages, but Raphinha’s late-winner in Saudi Arabia was the final straw for a manager who has been on the brink for several weeks.
There have been rumours of unrest in the Real Madrid dressing room all season, which may also have contributed to Alonso’s departure just eight months into a three-year deal.
Fernando Alonso said Xabi Alonso was ‘exactly’ what Real Madrid needed
One of Real Madrid’s most famous fans is Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula 1 world champion who currently drives for Aston Martin.
Speaking to his team’s official website last June, Alonso called his namesake’s predecessor, Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s ‘greatest manager’. The Italian won the league twice and the Champions League three times across two stints at the Bernabeu.
“With [Carlo] Ancelotti, he is the greatest manager we have had in terms of trophies, and he will be missed, but I’m excited to see how we do now with Xabi Alonso as manager,” he said.
“It’s a new era for Real Madrid in that sense, with new players already joining like Trent Alexander-Arnold. But that’s sport; that’s life.
“Nothing stays the same. Things move on and what happened in the past is easily and quickly forgotten. Those Real Madrid players that were my heroes when I was growing up aren’t there anymore and it’s the same in Formula 1: drivers come and go, things move on. It’s natural.”
In a separate interview with DAZN, Alonso said Ancelotti’s replacement had everything he needed to succeed. He has been replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, another of the club’s former players.
“Xabi was a smart player, always full of tactical awareness,” Alonso explained. “Now, as a coach, he combines that knowledge with a calm attitude and strong communication skills. That’s exactly what’s needed at a club like Real Madrid, where there’s pressure every three days.”
Which other F1 drivers support Real Madrid?
Alonso was made an honorary member of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2017, a title also held by tennis icon Rafael Nadal.
“It was special because you feel like you are an important person for a club that you admire,” he told Aston Martin. “Going on the pitch and everything else was magical for me. I was truly honoured.
“I grew up idolising so many Real Madrid players that stepped onto that pitch in the famous white kit. To then do the same was very special. It’s a day that will live with me forever.”
Alonso isn’t the only current F1 driver who supports Real Madrid. Sainz was born in the Spanish capital and his father is also an honorary member of the club.
Mercedes star George Russell also loved the club as a child, though he is primarily a supporter of Premier League side Wolves.