Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and his advisors reportedly decided in a late-night meeting on Sunday that Xabi Alonso’s last chance at keeping his job comes against Manchester City.
In five weeks, Los Blancos saw their five-point gap atop the La Liga standings turn into a four-point deficit. The club only managed one win in its last five league matches, most recently suffering a dismal 2–0 defeat to Celta Vigo.
Throughout the poor run of form, pressure has slowly been mounting on Alonso, who has come under fire for bizarre tactics and a public falling out with Vinicius Junior. Despite signing a three-year contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish boss could only be in charge for the next few days.
Struggling for form and your own players turning against you...
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) December 8, 2025
Arne Slot and Xabi Alonso have had a lot in common since facing each other this season. pic.twitter.com/C7nGqqgoaY
According to MARCA, Pérez called a “crisis cabinet” after the team’s shock result against Los Celestes to discuss Alonso’s fate. After only leading the Spanish giants to two victories in their last seven matches across all competitions, the 44-year-old reportedly has just one game left to save his position at the biggest club in the world: Wednesday’s marquee clash with Manchester City.
Should Real Madrid be on the wrong side of another embarrassing display and result, all signs indicate that Alonso’s time on the touchline at his former club will come to an end.
Real Madrid Set for ‘Reconfiguration’ This Summer
The team’s poor performances, growing injury crisis and referee Quintero González’s three red cards to Fran García, Álvaro Carreras and Endrick were also discussed in Sunday night’s crisis meeting, per MARCA.
Although most of the blame falls on Alonso, Pérez reportedly acknowledged the lack of leadership among the current players at Real Madrid. Losing Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić in back-to-back summers not only left two holes in the team’s midfield, but in the dressing room as well.
The president is thought to be leaning toward a “reconfiguration of the team” this summer if things do not improve. The likes of David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger, who are both out of contract at the end of the season, could be just the first two of several major exits coming the way of Real Madrid.
All eyes will be on Los Blancos when they kick off against City at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night. A statement performance could make all the difference for both Alonso and the team, but with so many defenders out injured, the task will be a monumental one for the 15-time European champions.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Decide Xabi Alonso’s Fate in Emergency ‘Crisis Meeting’.