It’s a challenging period for Xabi Alonso as head coach of Real Madrid. Everyone understands he needs time to bring Los Blancos to the desired level, but the disastrous performance in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal has many wondering whether the young tactician may have taken on too much, too soon.Real Madrid were fully battered (0-4), and the reigning European champions took full advantage, crushing the world’s most decorated club.CWC: Saints humbled the overconfident King with a match full of agonyIn the aftermath of the game, Alonso didn’t hide how painful the defeat was for him.”The start of the match was very important. We were up against a strong opponent, and things got very difficult as early as the 10th minute. PSG are playing excellent football – they’re two years into their project, while we’ve only just started. We have a lot of work to do, and of course, a defeat like this hurts,” Alonso admitted.He continued:”Those two early goals put us under enormous pressure. They force you to keep a high tempo, even when you can’t maintain balance in defense. We saw how strong PSG really are. We have to learn from our mistakes. In fact, this result might be good for us – it helps us understand how far we still have to go. PSG are doing things right. We still have to get there. We’re operating in a highly competitive environment, and we essentially played this game without any proper preparation. Now we need some rest, but we’ll be back in four weeks.”Lucho’s Les GalactiquesJournalists asked whether the result reflects the actual quality gap between PSG and Real.”The goals were the deciding factor. We wanted to play solidly from the start, but everything changed after ten minutes. The greater the gap, the greater our need to improve as a team. We’re ending this season better than we started it. I believe this experience will help us grow in the new year.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9012333##The only positive news from the match was the return of Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, who made their comebacks after months on the sidelines due to serious injuries.”We knew how important those players are, and that they might have helped us in the final if we had made it. It’s not the start of a new season – it’s the end of the old one. There are positives in this process, even if they weren’t visible today. But the season is over now, and we’re turning the page.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##The club also bid farewell to long-serving players Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez.”Even though I’ve only been here a short time, I tried to make sure they enjoyed their final days in a Real Madrid shirt. They didn’t exactly get the farewell they deserved, but I thank them both sincerely. Luka is a legend – everything he’s done will be remembered, including the 25 minutes he played today.”When asked about the development potential of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, Alonso gave a broader answer:”I’m talking about the whole team. Not just now, but since I arrived. It’s good to recognize our mistakes and learn from them. If we keep repeating them, then we’ve got a problem.”The media also questioned why Alonso didn’t make any tactical changes when PSG took an early 2-0 lead.”Because I believed we needed to stay patient. We had some moments in the second half. We made some adjustments at halftime – we pushed Gonzalo [Garcia] a bit further to the left to relieve pressure. There were changes; maybe they just weren’t obvious. Everyone sees the game from a different angle, but we also need to be self-critical. Still, we’re not going to let a bad ending crush us.”Real Madrid legend: “Just get rid of him”PSG, relentless and hungry for global dominance, tore through a disjointed Real Madrid side, who collapsed in just 24 minutes.Why didn’t Rodrygo play?”That was my decision. We needed players with different profiles. There’s no decision yet about his future.”Alonso admitted he regretted starting the match so aggressively.”Without a doubt. I didn’t expect things to unravel that quickly. But it’s just one loss. The bad news – for everyone, including myself – is that we’ll lose more games. That’s part of life, and we have to accept it. Now we need to think about how to have a greater impact on the game.”Xabi Alonso’s first masterclass in Madrid – reinvented Arda GulerAnd some more praise for PSG…”They’ve been playing together for years, and at an incredible level. We’re not the first to lose to them. They’ve been outstanding – they showed that in the Champions League, and again today. We have to accept they’re a top team. We’re still at the beginning of our journey.”On potential reinforcements?”We haven’t discussed squad planning during the Club World Cup, but we’re always open to improving and strengthening the team.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9012333##
