Leverkusen president takes swipe at Real Madrid over Xabi Alonso's treatment

Updated: 16 Dec, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Leverkusen president takes swipe at Real Madrid over Xabi Alonso's treatment

Photo: Getty Images

Xabi Alonso's position at Real Madrid is continuing to attract intense scrutiny, with the 44-year-old reportedly at risk of being sacked just six months into his tenure at the Bernabéu.

The situation has not gone unnoticed by his former club Bayer Leverkusen, whose president has now spoken publicly about Alonso's struggles in the Spanish capital.

Alonso left Leverkusen at the start of June to take charge of Los Blancos after a historic spell in Germany, where he led the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title and a Europa League final.

However, recent results at Madrid have put the former midfielder under mounting pressure.

Leverkusen Maintain Close Ties With Alonso

Speaking to Sky Sport Germany, Leverkusen CEO and president Fernando Carro de Prada revealed that he recently met Alonso during a visit to Madrid and stressed the strong relationship that still exists between the coach and his former club.

During the international break I was in Madrid for a weekend and the coaching staff and family were at our house twice.

We have a very good relationship - after all, during those three years we were like a family.

We feel a lot of appreciation for each other and we maintain very close contact.

Carro added that the bond remains so close that both sides continue to watch each other's matches regularly.

Criticism of Real Madrid's Handling of Alonso

Whilst expressing sympathy for Alonso's situation, Carro did not hold back in his assessment of how Madrid's hierarchy has handled the pressure surrounding the coach - remarks widely interpreted as a thinly veiled criticism of club president Florentino Pérez.

At the time we would have liked him to have stayed here, but we know that he is a coach with enormous talent who, yes, finds himself in a different context in Madrid.

If the president says that a coach is a necessary evil, if the coach is left alone and he is always the one who receives the criticism, then the situation is very different from the one he experienced in Leverkusen, where we all row in the same direction and we do not leave the coach alone politically.

The comments underline the contrast between the supportive environment Alonso enjoyed in Germany and the relentless scrutiny that comes with coaching Madrid.

Door Left Open for Alonso's Return

Carro also made it clear that Leverkusen would welcome Alonso back in the future should his spell in Madrid come to an end.

The door is open. If they both want to come back, they can do so at any time.

With Alonso now under fire following a string of underwhelming performances, the remarks from Leverkusen's president highlight growing concern that one of Europe's most promising young coaches may not be receiving the backing he needs at the club.

Whether Madrid's hierarchy will continue to stand by Alonso remains to be seen, but his former club has made one thing clear: their support - and a potential return - is always there.

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