How Real Madrid’s players reacted to Xabi Alonso change of approach

Real Madrid ended their three-game winless streak on Wednesday with a 4-3 win over Olympiakos, but arguably even bigger news was the reaction of manager Xabi Alonso and his players after the game. It was a united front both on social media, on the pitch, and in front of the press.

After weeks of talk of a strained relationship between Alonso and several of his star players, Alonso was seen embracing Vinicius Junior after the game. Kylian Mbappe told the media that they had to protect Alonso and each other, while Alonso assured that he was most pleased ‘with the progress in the hours leading up to the match’. Subsequently, another of the star players reportedly most unhappy with Alonso, Fede Valverde, took to social media to express a message of unity.

In the aftermath, it has been reported that Alonso had spent the prior 48 hours asking his players what he could improve, and generally trying to bridge the gap with them.

Florentino Perez asked Xabi Alonso to change approach

As reported by Sport, President Florentino Perez spoke to Xabi Alonso earlier this week, and suggested that he should perhaps take a different approach with his players. In addition, he backed up his manager, making it clear to the players that Alonso had his support too. Perez was conscious that the distance between coach and players was causing issues.

How Real Madrid’s players have reacted?

The change of approach from Alonso has been well-received by the Real Madrid squad, say Cadena SER. Before the match, Alonso told the squad that they had to be more united than ever, and that his actions this week had improved the atmosphere. Some players have commented that the mood is now different to what it was, and the general feeling is much more positive around the team.

The next step for Alonso and Real Madrid will be to prove that unity on the pitch. Although they were excellent going forward against Olympiakos, it has escaped nobody that they were far too easy to attack in Greece. This weekend, Los Blancos have a theoretically kinder match against Girona at Montilivi to demonstrate that, where they have fared well of late.

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