Mbappé Defends Xabi Alonso's Stint on Real Madrid's Bench

Published on January 20, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Kylian Mbappé, PSG and French national team forward, speaking at a press conference. In a secondary inset, Xabi Alonso, coach, watches a match from the bench.

Mbappé Defends Xabi Alonso's Tenure on Real Madrid's Bench

The French star Kylian Mbappé has given his point of view on the controversial departure of Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid. Contrary to the general narrative, the player claims that labeling the coach's tenure as a failure is incorrect. 🗣️

A Sports Record Under Analysis

Mbappé bases his argument on concrete numbers. He points out that, during Alonso's tenure, the team only let slip one trophy: the Spanish Super Cup. For the forward, this record demonstrates more than acceptable performance, which calls into question the criteria the club used to dispense with his services. 📊

Mbappé's Key Arguments:
  • Alonso's team only lost one official title, the Super Cup.
  • The overall balance of the season was therefore positive according to his metric.
  • There is a clear discrepancy between this balance and the board's final decision.
It is not correct to say that Alonso did not succeed at the club. We only failed to win the Super Cup.

A Connection Beyond Results

More important than statistics, for Mbappé, was the personal relationship and footballing synergy he built with the coach. The Frenchman deeply values the playing philosophy that Alonso sought to implement, revealing that for him, a coach's success is measured in multiple dimensions. ⚽

Aspects Mbappé Values in Alonso:
  • A spectacular personal relationship with great mutual respect.
  • A vision of football that he shared and admired.
  • A coach's ability to connect with his players and instill an identity.

A Positive Memory in a Fleeting World

In the current context of football, where coaches have an extremely short shelf life, Mbappé's public defense takes on special value. It not only reclaims Alonso's work, but also underscores the importance of factors like stability and sports project over the immediacy of a single trophy. His opinion offers a different perspective on how to evaluate a coach's tenure at a big club. 🤝