The arrival of Xabi Alonso to the Real Madrid bench has meant a radical change in the management of the locker room. The Basque coach doesn't want distractions or inappropriate behavior. In this regard, his message has been clear from day one: "No nonsense will be allowed."
With a locker room full of stars and strong personalities, Xabi Alonso understands that discipline is key to keeping competitiveness. That's why every match and even training session is approached with the utmost seriousness.
An altercation between Vinícius and Rüdiger
Tension reached a critical point in one of the latest training sessions. "Don Balón" has revealed that everything happened when Antonio Rüdiger made a very hard tackle on Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian reacted angrily and both footballers started arguing heatedly.
Xabi Alonso didn't like the situation at all. Instead of allowing the incident to drag on, the coach intervened immediately and ordered Rüdiger to leave the training session, thus setting a precedent for how he will handle these episodes.
Xabi Alonso doesn't tolerate distractions
The Real Madrid coach seeks to build a team focused solely on sporting objectives. What he is clear about is that he doesn't intend to allow attitudes that could generate even the slightest internal tension or divert focus from the competition.
The decision to remove Rüdiger from the session was met with surprise by some players, but it made clear that the hierarchy has changed. Whoever doesn't follow Xabi Alonso's rules won't have a place on the team.
Rüdiger is living his last months in Madrid
The aforementioned report has also stated that Antonio Rüdiger's future at Santiago Bernabéu is sealed. The German center-back has a contract until June 30, 2026, but the club has already decided not to renew him.
Xabi Alonso doesn't count on him in his mid-term project. His aggressive style and frequent clashes with teammates in training have finally exhausted patience in Valdebebas. Thus, the German is facing his last months as a Madrid player.
A message for the entire locker room
With this decision, Xabi Alonso sends a very clear message to the rest of the squad. Discipline and respect will be above any name. Footballers like Vinícius, Bellingham, or Mbappé know there's no room for relaxation.
The Basque coach understands that only through unity and seriousness can Real Madrid be kept at the top. For now, he has made it clear that he is willing to make drastic decisions to achieve it.
Real Madrid has entered a new era with Xabi Alonso in charge. A stage where strictness and high standards will be the coach's personal hallmark. The Rüdiger case is just the first warning: in this Madrid, there will be no privileges or concessions.
The message couldn't be clearer: whoever doesn't follow the rules won't remain at Santiago Bernabéu.