Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has reflected on his whirlwind tenure at Real Madrid, admitting that his dismissal from the Santiago Bernabeu dugout felt premature. The Spaniard, who arrived with a burgeoning reputation from Bayer Leverkusen, saw his stint in the Spanish capital cut short despite being active in multiple competitions.
A premature end in the Spanish capital
Los Blancos appointed Alonso at the start of last season following his impressive managerial breakthrough at Bayer Leverkusen. He enjoyed a bright start during the Club World Cup, but his reign ultimately unravelled midway through the campaign.
Following a defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, the Madrid hierarchy ruthlessly wielded the axe. The decision ended the Spaniard's project to overhaul the team's playing style before it had truly begun, with the club temporarily turning to Alvaro Arbeloa to steady the ship.
'I don't look back in anger'
Speaking to former Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports’ programme Boss, Alonso expressed his frustration over the timing of his departure. However, the tactician insisted he holds no grudges against the Spanish giants.
"I felt as though it finished a little bit earlier, before knowing if the season was going to end well," Alonso said. "It was the middle of the season. We were still in La Liga, the Champions League, but it was an experience to manage Real Madrid."
He added: "Real Madrid is special in everything. It’s a little bit different to other clubs in everything. I learned from that, and I don’t look back in anger. I look back, thinking I tried and gave my best. Now I’m focusing on the future, but I had to try it."
Embracing the Stamford Bridge project
While Madrid ultimately pivoted to a vastly different approach by later appointing Jose Mourinho, Alonso quickly found a new home in west London. The Spaniard revealed that Stamford Bridge offered the perfect environment to rebuild following a necessary period of rest.
"It was about the timing. For me it was the right timing after Bayer Leverkusen, after Real Madrid. I had my time off," Alonso told Carragher. "And I wanted to choose to have that good connection, that good feeling about where to go, and I know Chelsea.
"I had no link [to the club], but what I heard… The potential is there, few things could change. And I thought that we could start this journey together. I feel [the squad] have a very strong base, the squad is very good. With some improvement, new signings of different profiles, we could have a solid team.
"It was gonna be a project… We know it’s going to take some more years, but the first year is important and here we are, just starting. But so far the feeling is that we could be aligned, on the same page. That’s going to be important."
London derbies and El Clasico loom
Alonso has enjoyed a promising start to life in the Premier League, guiding his new side to fourth in the table. The Blues will look to build on their strong domestic form when they host a struggling Tottenham side in a crucial London derby this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Mourinho’s Real Madrid face a defining test of their own. Los Blancos travel to Camp Nou on Sunday night to clash with fierce rivals Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season.