Xabi Alonso’s return to Real Madrid was meant to be the start of a new era. Instead, it lasted less than eight months.
From his invincible Bundesliga triumph with Bayer Leverkusen to the unforgiving pressure of the Santiago Bernabéu, Alonso’s Real Madrid reign quickly spiralled into chaos. Tactical compromises, dressing room power struggles, missing midfield reinforcements, and crushing defeats — including a painful Clasico loss — ultimately sealed his fate.
