Kylian Mbappé posted a message about Xabi Alonso's sack: 'I learned a lot from you'

The departure of Xabi Alonso from the Real Madrid bench has sent shockwaves through the footballing world, leaving a trail of questions both inside and outside the Santiago Bernabéu. Following the painful defeat against FC Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, the club officially confirmed this Monday that the Spanish strategist will not continue at the helm. In his place, Álvaro Arbeloa has been tasked with steering the ship as an interim manager for the coming months, but the focus remains on the dramatic final hours of the "Alonso Era."

Just hours after the decision was made official, Kylian Mbappé took to social media to bid farewell to the man who guided him through the first half of the 2025/26 season. The French superstar, who has been the undisputed pillar of the team’s attack, posted a public message on Instagram that quickly went viral, blending respect with an underlying sense of a project cut short.

“It was a short period, but a pleasure to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for the confidence from day one. I will remember you as a coach with very clear ideas and a great understanding of football. Good luck in your next adventure,” Mbappé wrote, accompanied by a photo of the two together at the training ground.

While Mbappé’s message was elegant and professional, the reality behind the scenes was far more turbulent. Information leaked following the final in Saudi Arabia suggests that the "death knell" for Alonso’s tenure wasn't just the 3-2 scoreline, but a massive breakdown in authority during the post-match ceremonies.

Reports indicate that Xabi Alonso instructed his players to perform a "Pasillo" (Guard of Honor) for Barcelona as a show of sportsmanship and "Madridista" values. However, the heavyweights of the locker room, led by Mbappé, reportedly ignored the command. Instead of staying on the pitch to honor their rivals, the squad headed directly to the dressing room in a clear act of defiance. This "mutiny" was captured by cameras and became a heated topic of debate on social media, signaling to the board that Alonso had lost the "pulse" of the locker room.

This act of insubordination was the culmination of weeks of friction. The internal climate had already been poisoned following a recent La Liga Clásico, where Alonso substituted Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian winger made his anger visible to the world, gesturing wildly on the sidelines and refusing to acknowledge the coaching staff.

For the Real Madrid board, these episodes were symptoms of a manager who, despite his tactical brilliance, could no longer control the high-profile egos in the squad. In the "pressure cooker" of the Bernabéu, tactical knowledge is often secondary to the ability to manage the emotional state of global icons, and it seems Alonso’s "clear ideas" eventually clashed with the players' personal frustrations.

What makes the firing even more surprising is the sheer efficiency the team displayed under Alonso’s system—specifically Kylian Mbappé. Despite the friction, the Frenchman’s numbers were staggering. Under the Spanish manager, Mbappé played 25 official matches, scoring 29 goals and providing 5 assists. He was the absolute reference point in attack, thriving in a vertical system that allowed him to exploit his speed. Over the entire cycle, Xabi Alonso managed 34 games, with a record of 24 wins, 4 draws, and 6 defeats. While these results are acceptable at most clubs, the internal tensions and the symbolic weight of the Super Cup loss made his position untenable.

Now, the mission falls to Álvaro Arbeloa. Known for his fierce loyalty to the club and his "Spartan" discipline, the interim boss will need to do more than just draw up plays; he needs to heal a fractured dressing room. As the team returns to Madrid, the ghost of Xabi Alonso’s "Guard of Honor" demand still lingers, serving as a reminder that at Real Madrid, the locker room is often the most difficult opponent to beat.