Xabi Alonso introduces iron rules at Real — ruthless fight awaits on the field

A new chapter has opened in the history of Real Madrid. One of the legends of world football, former player and promising coach Xabi Alonso now leads “Los Blancos.” His first official match as coach will take place on June 18, in the Club World Cup. The opponent is Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and wealthy club, Al Hilal.

However, even before the match, Alonso has already established strict and clear rules within the team. According to information shared by journalist Javier Herraez on Spain’s “Cadena SER” radio, Xabi Alonso sent a very open and strict message to the players:

“Whoever does not run and does not leave all his strength on the field — will not play. I don’t care about names.”

That is, for the new coach, it does not matter what star status anyone has. Only hard work, discipline, and dedication on the pitch are important. With these words, Alonso may have sent a signal to some Real Madrid stars who have settled into their “comfort zone.”

He also emphasized:

“You should not just wait for the ball to come and turn it into a goal. You need to fight for every situation, move for every ball.”

This approach is characteristic of Alonso’s style, who won championships with Liverpool, Bayern, and the Spain national team. His style is team discipline, intelligent play, and relentless effort for 90 minutes. So, Real Madrid players will now have to fully commit in every situation instead of looking for a “break” on the field.

It is also reported that Xabi Alonso held individual talks with some players and told them they would have to fight for their spot in the coming season. He also stated that he supports including young academy players in the main squad.

Let us recall that before the start of the new season, Carlo Ancelotti left Madrid to lead the Brazil national team. His place was taken by Xabi Alonso, who achieved excellent results in Germany with Bayer, including becoming Bundesliga champion and reaching the Europa League final.

Now he faces a historic task — to lead one of the world’s most famous clubs, Real Madrid, into a new era.

Firstly, these are new standards of physical preparation and discipline. Secondly, on the pitch, players must play not just by name, but with passion and movement. These strict demands on the players indicate the beginning of a new era at the Santiago Bernabeu. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!