Bayer Leverkusen's success with Xabi Alonso has caused unanimous praise. Bundesliga champions, Europa League finalists, records, and a historic transformation of the German club. Everything seemed to fit perfectly... until now.
A dissenting voice has broken the reverential silence that surrounded the Basque coach. It's not a journalist or a rival. It's one of his own.
It's a former footballer from Leverkusen's own locker room. He hasn't hesitated to show what he considers "the dark side" of the current Real Madrid coach.
"He would've requested the transfer"
Jonas Hofmann is a veteran German midfielder who played alongside Xabi Alonso on the team during the past season. Hofmann has made statements that have surprised many with their bluntness.
Although he acknowledges that the season was "spectacular," he doesn't hide that his personal experience wasn't positive.
"If Xabi Alonso had stayed, I would've requested the transfer. That says it all," he stated without
The player has now signed for Stuttgart and hasn't wanted to keep anything to himself. "There were communication problems and that made me feel uncomfortable," he added.
According to his version, Alonso wasn't close to all the players. He, despite being a German international and one of the captains, didn't find an explanation from the coach for his limited participation.
Not everything was so perfect
Hofmann played 44 matches last season, but many of them from the bench or with only a few minutes. "One starts to question things when you don't feel important. I never really knew why I wasn't playing," the footballer explained.
"There wasn't an honest conversation. I didn't feel there was that closeness that's needed in a locker room. That led me to want to leave," he concluded.
A statement that directly clashes with the portrait that Real Madrid has painted of the new coach: approachable, open to dialogue, and very humane.
The criticism is specific, yes. It may be influenced by personal disappointment. But the truth is that it breaks the aura of perfection that had surrounded the Basque coach until now.
It opens the debate about whether that group management attributed to him is as real as it seems. Because at Real Madrid, he'll have plenty of work to keep egos in harmony.
In Madrid they don't see it the same way
In Valdebebas, the feelings about Xabi Alonso have been completely different. Since he arrived, the key players have supported him. Even players who aren't starters feel comfortable with his approach.
The club has backed him as a long-term replacement and has given him full authority. But this first criticism from Germany, even if it comes from a hurt player, invites everyone to keep an eye on what's happening inside the locker room.
Xabi Alonso's success story isn't in doubt. Now, for the first time, someone has dared to tell what wasn't seen in the spotlight.