Xabi Alonso is the third person. In just 12 days, 3 clubs in the world's leading group in revenue - ranked 1st, 4th and 10th respectively - have sacked their current coaches. The noteworthy common point is that all three have only been in power for less than 18 months and are considered promising young faces at the time of appointment. Calling this a shock is still not enough to accurately describe the level of abnormality of this series of events.
This may be a rare phenomenon, and each story - Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, and Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid - all have certain differences. However, there are still common denominators that cannot be ignored.
Although young, they all have experience working and living abroad, creating a reputable "international record". More importantly, even if the results and expectations have an impact on the decision to break up, it is only part of the picture.
The core lesson lies in cultural conflict. Right or wrong, these clubs feel they are no longer suitable for the identity or brand of the team. And at the highest level, this factor is increasingly becoming a decisive criterion.
The old view is that achievement is an outdated seat ticket. Many opinions can argue about how far they have optimized resources, but it is difficult to assert that the results are simply the direct cause of their job loss.
Maresca brought Chelsea from sixth to fourth place in the first season, winning the UEFA Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup, and leaving the team in fifth place in the Premier League when he was sacked.
Amorim took over Man United, who were 13th in November 2024, finished the season 15th (but reached the Europa League final) and left when the team was sixth. Alonso took over Real Madrid, who were second last season, bringing the team to the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals, then left 7 months later in the context that Real was still second in La Liga.
These are not excellent results, but they are clearly still acceptable. Until recently, people still believed that that was enough for them to continue at least until the summer, especially when sacking a mid-season coach is always complicated and costly.
Now clearly that logic is no longer true. Or to be more precise, because it is too complicated and expensive, clubs have chosen cheap and fast ways in each case.
Man United recalled legend Michael Carrick, who has only coached 3 Premier League matches. Real Madrid promoted Alvaro Arbeloa from team B, who only has about 6 months and 19 matches of experience. Chelsea also followed a similar trend when bringing Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg - a low-risk option in the context that Strasbourg belongs to the same group as Chelsea (BlueCo).
Not to underestimate the capacity of the 3 coaches appointed. But clearly, these are temporary options or reserve candidates with controlled levels of risk. If they exceed expectations, they may be retained. Otherwise, they will leave in a gentle and low-loss process.
Maresca once talked about not receiving support at Chelsea. After he left, stories appeared - believed to have originated directly from the club - about the worsening relationship with the owners, with the system of 5 Football Directors and the medical department.
For Amorim, it is a tactical turning point compared to the club's tradition - shown through endless debate around the 3-4-2-1 system. Work pressure is also increasing due to the Old Trafford environment, where a team of former players who have now become commentators always scrutinize every detail.
And when Amorim made statements that were considered offensive to the team and inaccurate, the outcome was almost decided.
As for Alonso, the structural mistake may lie in Real Madrid appointing a "systematic" coach in the context that for the past 15 years, they have been most successful with human management styles such as Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti or Jose Mourinho.
Alonso was a pillar of Real during the Galacticos period and certainly understood that. But at the same time, the system he successfully built at Leverkusen was the reason he came to Bernabeu. Therefore, he sought to harmonize - adjust parts instead of comprehensive change. The result was a team that critics described as lacking identity.
