Real Madrid News
Real Madrid shortlist two managers to serve as interim coach should Alonso leave
Xabi Alonso’s days at Real Madrid could be numbered as Real Madrid gear up for their upcoming Champions League game against Manchester City.
Having just suffered a 0-2 defeat to Celta Vigo, another loss against the Premier League giants could effectively see Alonso axed from his role as Real Madrid manager.
As the uncertainty over Alonso’s future continues, Real Madrid have reportedly identified a couple of fallback options to help them carry out the remainder of the campaign.
Solari and Arbeloa: Real Madrid’s fallback options
According to El Larguero, Santiago Solari and Alvaro Arbeloa have emerged as two fallback options should Alonso get axed by Real Madrid this week.
Both the individuals know Real Madrid inside out, with Solari even serving as Real Madrid’s caretaker manager previously in 2018.
The Argentine is currently serving as Real Madrid’s Director of Professional Football, but he has ample coaching experience to be able to take on the role of an interim manager, at least until the end of the season.
Arbeloa, on the other hand, is currently the head coach of the Real Madrid Castilla squad and is also a leading candidate to replace Xabi Alonso.
The Spaniard has played a key role in honing the talents of several academy players and is a respected figure within the Real Madrid ranks.
While Solari may only be a stop gap option for Real Madrid in the event of Alonso’s departure, Arbeloa offers much more promise and can even turn into a potential long-term replacement for Alonso, if he can prove himself in the interim.
But for now, Real Madrid will be in wait and watch mode as the team takes on Man City in the Champions League this midweek.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
