The manager insists his team “never gave up” in a gritty draw with Elche, pushing back against speculation over his future and reported locker room unrest.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is standing firm, defending his team’s fighting spirit after a late Jude Bellingham goal salvaged a 2-2 draw against Elche on Sunday. The result extends a worrying winless streak to three games for the Spanish giants, casting a spotlight on Alonso’s leadership.
Despite the recent slump, which includes a Champions League loss to Liverpool and a league draw with Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid still holds a narrow one-point lead at the top of La Liga. However, the pressure is mounting, with reports emerging that key players, including Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and others, have growing concerns about the team’s direction.
Amid this speculation, Alonso focused on the positives from the hard-fought Elche match. “The team never gave up,” he stated emphatically in his post-match press conference. “We’re still competing… the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity.”
He acknowledged the disappointment of the results but urged for perspective. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.”
When addressing the broader atmosphere at the club, Alonso pushed back against narratives of a fractured relationship with his star-studded squad. “The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more,” he explained. “We’re all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today… The connection is good, the day-to-day is good.”
The manager concluded by stating his focus is on analysis and improvement, with an immediate chance to turn things around in the Champions League against Olympiacos on Wednesday. The performance in Athens will be closely watched, as Alonso works to steady the ship and silence his critics.
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