Real Madrid marked their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 with a post on their social media account on Saturday. However, the biggest face in the photo is not star striker Kylian Mbappe.
nor Vinicius Junior nor Jude Bellingham, although all three superstars were present, along with the sparkling trophy and images of skyscrapers and high bridges in the US.
Instead, the center of the photo is the face of coach Xabi Alonso. Just a few weeks ago, Madridistas could not be more excited about the Alonso era. The Spanish captain has overshadowed the stars' appeal.
Alonso's appearance at the Bernabeu was announced on 25 May, a day after Madrid's 2024-2025 La Liga season ended. He attended his first training session on June 9, just 7 days ago. But Alonso's Los Blancos have arrived in Palm Beach, Florida (USA) to prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup.
In addition to exaggeration, there is little accurate information about what Alonso has planned for the new team. At the club's Valdebebas base, training sessions took place behind closed doors last week.
Only 15 minutes of Real's first training session in the US were opened to the media. But what we see about Alonso at work, in the photos and videos carefully edited and released by the club, is extremely attractive.
Every photo of Alonso has been researched and analyzed by fans. In one photo, from a photo series posted by Real on June 9, Alonso is sitting in the office with his 5 key coaching staff: sebas Parrilla (assistant coach), Ismael Camenforte (fitness coach), Alberto Encinas and Benat veryen (analyst), Luis Lopis (goalkeeper coach).
Notably, Alonso is preparing a tablet in front of him. The message is clear: this is a modern coach, unlike his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti.
The practice scenes show Alonso focusing and paying attention to every detail. He proactively directs, stops the game when necessary, points and shouts loudly, follows all the players' movements and regularly changes positions.
Once again, the contrast with Ancelotti could not be more obvious. Alonso may have played under the Italian coach, but he has also learned the trade from Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
At the press conference on May 26, Alonso provided further suggestions on Real's shape in the FIFA Club World Cup and next season.
" nowadays, in football, you have to be flexible and dynamic. You have to move the chess pieces throughout the match. I have ideas for how we want to play, but the system can change, with four defenders or three.
What I want is to know how to choose the right time, know how to organize, control the ball and know what to do when we don't have the ball. You have to press when necessary and back down when necessary. The problem is to be proactive and we have the players to do that," said the 43-year-old captain.
We will have a first look at how Alonso is getting closer to that ideal when Madrid play Al Hilal at hard Rock Stadium, Miami.
Alonso's immediate task is huge. The "White Vultures" have played poorly last season, just a shadow of the team that won La Liga and the Champions League a year ago.
When questioned repeatedly, Alonso refused to analyze the team's weaknesses, reluctantly going into details.
"I have watched the games, I have analyzed them. And now I'm thinking about what we can do to get balance and control. That will give us stability, helping personal qualities develop strongly" - Alonso added.
