Benítez and the similarities with Alonso

Rafael Benítez, former coach of Real Madrid, once again brought up the influence of internal politics at the club. In an interview with the BBC, the Madrid coach said that Xabi Alonso's departure  as head coach was not solely due to soccer-related issues. “At Real Madrid, as you say, Xabi has many similarities with me. He likes to work, organize things, and then talk to the players about what they want to do. But at Real Madrid, there's a lot of politics involved. Maybe that's why it was more complicated," he said

Alonso's brief stint at Madrid

Alonso had taken over in June 2025, just before the Club World Cup, but left the position in January. Florentino Pérez clarified that he was not fired, although a conflict with Vinicius Junior became public knowledge. In his brief tenure, he achieved 24 victories in 34 games (4 draws and 6 losses), numbers that in another context would have meant support. However, the internal conflict outweighed the results. The case is reminiscent of Benítez himself, who was dismissed in 2016 after just 24 games despite leading his group in the Champions League and maintaining a good record (16 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses)

Chelsea, a new beginning

Alonso's career was on the rise. He had led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic unbeaten double in the Bundesliga and German Cup in the 2023-24 season, as well as reaching the Europa League final. His arrival at Chelsea confirms that his prestige remains intact. He made his debut with a resounding 3-0 win against Fulham, managed by another former Madrid player, Álvaro Arbeloa. In addition, he became the first Blues manager to score three goals in his league debut since Maurizio Sarri in 2018. The political background that Benítez points out once again opens the debate about how much internal dynamics weigh in the world's most successful club, where results are not always achieved and the management of egos is often as decisive as what happens on the field

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