Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has strongly denied claims that his teammates conspired to bring about Xabi Alonso’s dismissal.
Courtois made these remarks following Real Madrid’s impressive 3-0 home victory against Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Alonso had joined the Santiago Bernabeu last summer after a successful stint with Bayer Leverkusen. His initial period in the Spanish capital showed promise before Los Blancos experienced a dip in performance.
Despite a recovery that saw them reach the Supercopa de Espana final, a 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona ultimately led to Alonso’s departure amidst allegations of internal discord and unrest within the dressing room.
“No player set up Xabi Alonso,” Courtois stated (according to Madrid Xtra). “I believe we performed well. They claimed we disliked tactics and videos. … look, I had Antonio Conte who conducted an hour of training every day, and I was present and didn’t mind it because we are professionals and my work is the priority.
“I think the initial months with Xabi were VERY POSITIVE, and then we encountered a slump. This is part of football.”
Alonso, who has been without a managerial role since leaving Los Blancos in January, concluded his tenure at the Bernabeu with a record of 24 victories in 34 matches across all competitions, suffering six defeats.
His win percentage of 70.59% at Real Madrid is notably superior to his record at Bayer Leverkusen (62.86%), where he notably secured a domestic double in the 2023-24 season.
Meanwhile, midfielder Federico Valverde achieved his first career hat-trick, propelling Los Blancos significantly closer to securing a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The decisive second leg of the tie is scheduled to take place at the Etihad Stadium next Tuesday.
