A direct message lands in the Real Madrid dressing room

Xabi Alonso acknowledged his recent conversation with Florentino Pérez, a surprising move ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game against Olympiacos. It is not his style to discuss private matters in public. The Real Madrid coach rarely comments on anything happening around him or the team. His statement carried real weight, and the most important part was making the president’s support official, just as AS had reported. That backing had been questioned, and now it is clear that it was there all along.

Club leadership wanted to silence the noise

Inside the club, leaders decided it was the right time to shut down the speculation and make it clear to everyone, starting with the players, that Xabi Alonso is in charge and that he is the one who must take control of the group. The best way to do that, in their view, was for the coach to say so himself in a press conference.

Message received in the locker room

The locker room now knows that the club, led by the president, stands firmly behind its coach. It is up to the players to put an end to the talk about the team’s attitude and their approach to matches. As this newspaper reported, the first warning has already been delivered, and it is now public.

The players must bring the team back to normal

Now it is on the players to show that normalcy is returning, meaning the team must prove it can compete at the level expected from that crest. A year ago, Carlo Ancelotti tried to reverse a similar situation but fell short. Now it is Xabi Alonso’s turn.

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