Xabi Alonso has been sacked by Real Madrid—less than 24 hours after their 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final on January 11, 2026. The club announced the mutual agreement termination today, January 12, bringing his tenure to a swift end after just seven months and 28 games in charge. Álvaro Arbeloa, the former Madrid defender and Castilla coach, steps in as the new boss.
True: I Have a Xavi Obsession
Look, I’ll be straight: I’ve had a massive man crush on Xabi Alonso ever since his unreal work at Bayer Leverkusen. That invincible 2023-24 season—unbeaten domestic double, high-pressing football, turning underdogs into title winners—was pure magic. The guy looked like the next tactical genius, the one who’d finally bring modern, possession-based dominance back to the Bernabéu. I was all in, hyping him as the heir to the throne.
But it just hasn’t worked out at Madrid. The Galáctico pressure cooker is a different beast: massive egos, sky-high expectations, and a board that doesn’t do patience. Reports of rifts with stars like Vinícius Jr. over rotation, inconsistent results (despite a decent win rate on paper), and that nagging sense his Leverkusen style—high line, intense pressing—didn’t fully click against elite opposition or in the ego-filled dressing room. One bad Clasico, and the wheels come off. Yesterday’s Supercopa loss was the final straw.
My Bold Supercopa Call
And speaking of calling it early—remember that YouTube Short I dropped right before the final? Titled “Barcelona’s Red Card Guarantee” from my HOOLIGAN SOCCER channel, where I straight-up guaranteed at least one red card and five yellows, saying they’d probably pile up in the last few minutes with late subs and tension boiling over.
Well, boom: Frenkie de Jong got a straight red in stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappé, leaving Barça to hang on with 10 men. Yellows rained down too—Valverde, Asencio for Madrid, others piling up in the frantic finish. It was exactly the card-fest chaos I predicted in that clip, with the heated El Clásico vibes delivering the drama I foresaw.
While Barça lifted their record 16th Supercopa thanks to Raphinha’s brace (the guy was unstoppable), the defeat sealed Alonso’s fate. I told you his magic was perfect for Leverkusen, not this high-stakes circus. Everyone else was crowning him; I was the one saying the wheels would come off.
Smug? Maybe a little. But when you’re right this often, you earn it. Soccer never sleeps, and neither do the predictions. Who’s next? Stay locked in.
Gary is a former soccer player at an amateur level, has a sharp sense for trends and stats and knows how to make bets on the beautiful game.
