""Happy holidays to everyone," he said, getting to his feet, before adding with a smile: " Tranquilos" ("Keep calm"). It was a good-natured joke at the media's expense after weeks of excitable speculation about Alonso's future as coach thanks to a worrying dip in form."
"Alonso's first six months at Real Madrid have been anything but calm. "Tomorrow, the rock 'n' roll begins," the coach said before his first game at the FIFA Club World Cup, and since then it has been nonstop drama."
"Since then, the wheels have come off. If a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in September was a shock, a UEFA Champions League loss to Liverpool, followed by three consecutive draws in LaLiga and then defeats to Celta Vigo and Manchester City, felt like a full-blown crisis."
Xabi Alonso closed 2025 by telling journalists "Happy holidays to everyone" and "Tranquilos" after Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0, signalling he intended to remain at the club over the festive break. Alonso began his Real Madrid tenure strongly, recovering from a 4-0 Club World Cup semifinal loss to Paris Saint-Germain with 13 wins in 14 matches. The team then entered a downturn marked by a 5-2 loss to Atlético Madrid, a Champions League defeat to Liverpool, three consecutive LaLiga draws, and defeats to Celta Vigo and Manchester City. Sources indicated Real Madrid considered coaching options, and narrow wins over Alavés, Talavera de la Reina and Sevilla did little to strengthen Alonso's position.
Read at ESPN.com
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