Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said he was not surprised by Alonso’s mid-season departure and expressed his best wishes for the former midfielder’s future.
The announcement came the day after Real Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The club described the decision as mutual, though Spanish media have reported it as a sacking.
Alonso had joined Real Madrid last June on a three-year deal, following a highly successful spell as Bayer Leverkusen coach. Initially, the European champions performed strongly under him, winning 13 of their first 14 matches across all competitions.
However, the team later lost momentum, winning only two of their next eight matches and suffering consecutive home defeats, which increased pressure on Alonso. Speculation over his potential dismissal began to mount.
Real then bounced back, winning five matches in a row across all competitions, and reached the Super Cup final in Jeddah, where their defeat to Barcelona effectively confirmed Alonso’s exit.
Ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey round of 16 match on Wednesday, Flick was asked about Alonso’s departure. The German coach kept his comments measured, avoiding controversy.
“This is football, and it’s not really my place to comment. What I can say is that I have a good relationship with Xabi; we met at Leverkusen and have stayed in touch. I wish him all the best,” Flick said.
“I am confident he and his coaching staff will soon take on an exciting project. This is football, we must move forward. But he is a fantastic coach, and his future is bright.”
