At 21:00 local time on December 10, 2025, in the sixth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage, Real Madrid will host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu. On December 9, Spanish radio COPE reported that this clash will directly determine the future of Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso. If Real Madrid suffer a heavy defeat, Alonso could be dismissed on Thursday morning. Castilla (B team) coach Álvaro Arbeloa is considered the leading candidate to replace him.
Real Madrid’s 0–2 loss to Celta Vigo in La Liga last Sunday has intensified the crisis. After this defeat, Real Madrid have fallen four points behind Barcelona, and tensions inside the dressing room have escalated sharply. Major stars such as Vinícius, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and Rodrygo are reportedly dissatisfied with Alonso. During October’s El Clásico, Vinícius publicly reacted angrily after being substituted, exposing Real Madrid’s internal conflict.
Although the club management continues to support Alonso, the head coach has struggled to control the increasingly fractured dressing room. According to COPE, the Champions League showdown against Manchester City will be Alonso’s ultimate test—if Real Madrid are humiliated, the club will sack him on Thursday morning local time.
ESPN reports that Real Madrid’s dressing room is divided, with some players backing Alonso and others opposing him. One group believes losing the top spot in La Liga and the team’s poor form are entirely Alonso’s responsibility. The opposing group argues that the team’s decline is due to the players themselves, and the blame should not fall solely on the manager.
BBC La Liga expert Guillem Balagué wrote in his column that Alonso follows a modern football philosophy that demands high levels of pressing, running, and defending from all players, including superstars. Such an approach inevitably clashes with certain big names. Carlo Ancelotti also admitted privately that the Real Madrid dressing room is the hardest to manage, with players holding different agendas and often struggling to blend into a unified group.
Regardless of opinions, Alonso is now standing on the edge of a cliff. If he is dismissed, who will take charge of Real Madrid? ESPN indicates that Zinedine Zidane and Jürgen Klopp are unlikely options, while Arbeloa is the strongest candidate.
Álvaro Arbeloa, now 42, played for both Liverpool and Real Madrid during his career. Since 2018, he has held several roles at the club, including Real Madrid ambassador, youth coach, U19 coach, and manager of Castilla. He is considered a true embodiment of Madridismo.
