Xabi Alonso joined Real Madrid last summer, but now he’s already gone. The man who led Leverkusen to the championship has been fired.

Following defeat in the Spanish Super Cup, Xabi Alonso has been dismissed as coach of Real Madrid. The Spanish record champions announced on Monday that the separation had been “by mutual agreement.” Alonso (44) took over at Real at the start of the season, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. In Germany, he won the double with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/2024. In Spain’s La Liga, Real is second, three points behind FC Barcelona. Madrid lost the Supercopa final against its archrival (2-3) in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Former defender Alvaro Arbeloa is now taking over.

Alonso had succeeded Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, joining Real Madrid as one of the most sought-after coaches in the world. He had signed a contract with Real until the end of June 2028, which was valid from June 1, 2025. Alonso had already announced that he would be leaving Leverkusen in the final stages of the 2024/25 season. The Spaniard played for Real from 2009 to 2014, winning the Champions League and the Spanish championship. In a statement at the time, the Madrid club described Alonso as “one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid and world football.” He was returning “to Real Madrid as one of the best coaches in the world,” they said.

Not much of that remains now. With an impressive rise from the bottom of the table to the championship in less than two years, Xabi Alonso has made a name for himself at Bayer Leverkusen. From a no-name coach to undefeated champion and DFB Cup winner: by the summer of 2024, Alonso could practically choose his club.

In the summer of 2025, he did just that and went to Real Madrid. In 28 games, Alonso celebrated 20 wins, three draws, and five defeats. However, there were repeated rumors of disagreements in the dressing room, with Vinicius Junior alone regularly making headlines. So now Alonso had to leave.