Dominating European football since March 6th 1902
There’s no questions that Xabi Alonso was very high on Gonzalo Garcia. Alonso started the young Spanish forward in every Club World Cup match in the summer, and during Kylian Mbappe’s recent injury, Alonso started Gonzalo in all three matches, getting four goals out of him in the process. But Alonso also (in 95% of […]
Real Madrid visit Albacete in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, yet another single-elimination game. This will be Arbeloa’s debut as Real Madrid’s coach after Xabi Alonso’s departure, so the fans will be paying close attention to see if the team shows some encouraging signs on the field. PREDICTED LINEUPS Real Madrid […]
Real Madrid have published their squad list for Wednesday’s match against Albacete in the Copa del Rey’s Round of 16. REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:Goalkeepers: Lunin, Fran González and Sergio Mestre.Defenders: Carvajal, Alaba, Asencio, Fran García, Huijsen, David Jiménez and Joan Martínez.Midfielders: Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Ceballos, Cestero, Manuel Ángel and Palacios.Attackers: Vini Jr., Gonzalo and Mastantuono. Just as expected, […]
Real Madrid visit Albacete in the Copa del Rey’s Round of 16. This will be Álvaro Arbeloa’s debut as Real Madrid’s coach after the club decided to part ways with Xabi Alonso, so it will be interesting to see whether or not he rotates his team. Real Madrid predicted XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran […]
Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Ezek XI, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho. ARBELOA Could this be the dawn […]
There are two sides to Xabi Alonso’s dismissal, and both can be true at the same time. Florentino Perez has been rightly criticized by sections of fans and media. The way Alonso was treated publicly was awful and embarassing. He was never openly backed, repeatedly undermined through leaks, and players were allowed to air grievances […]
AUDIO: VIDEO: On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Sam Sharpe discuss: Did you enjoy this podcast? Get a ton of bonus content exclusively on Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will […]
Real Madrid presented Álvaro Arbeloa as the new coach of the first team, and was asked how he would define the team he will build, following Xabi Alonso’s plan to build a “rock and roll” side, and Arbeloa said, “this club is about winning, winning and winning again. It’s about being demanding to win trophies […]
Former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has published a brief letter on his social media to bid farewell to the club and its fans. “This professional stage comes to an end, and it has not turned out as we would have liked. Coaching Real Madrid has been an honor and a responsibility. I thank the […]
Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Ezek XI, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho. A DAY IN THE SUN Everybody […]
These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. IN JULY OF 2000, a freshly-elected Florentino Perez ushered in his improbable rise to Real Madrid presidency by signing the world’s best player, […]
Historical precedent always suggested that Xabi Alonso would struggle to survive long term at Real Madrid. No coach in the club’s modern history has emerged unscathed from the level of scrutiny and pressure he faced almost immediately. From the outside, his departure may look rash. In reality, Alonso underwhelmed. The team did not improve, nor […]
Speaking on El Tercer Tiempo on Movistar+, Jorge Valdano analyzed Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid and described a tenure marked by instability and a lack of institutional backing. “I saw Xabi Alonso as unstable from the first day. I never felt he had the support of the club,” Valdano said. He pointed to a […]
AUDIO: VIDEO: On this episode of the Churros y Tácticas Podast, Kiyan Sobhani and Diego Lorijn discuss, in real time, Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid: Enjoy the raw Churros, Campeones! Co-host and chief editor of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, along with Diego Lorijn — Barca TV, VIVA La Liga TV host, delve […]
Real Madrid announced that former Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa will replace Xabi Alonso as the coach of the first team. Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach. Álvaro Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025, and has spent his entire coaching […]
Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso have decided to part ways, the club announced on its official website. Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end. Xabi Alonso will always carry the […]
Castilla have reached the half-way mark of nineteen league games played so far this season. The Álvaro Arbeloa era is now well underway, and has largely left the fanbase torn between cautious optimism and eerily familiar concerns. Despite a 4-1 trouncing in their latest outing, the team finds itself in a genuine play-off race, albeit […]
In this episode of Madrid Mornings, Lucas shares his thoughts on Real Madrid’s loss to Barça in the Supercup Final. CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS Join our Real Madrid Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/rTD2PmE26f Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a […]
Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Ezek XI, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho. PHYSIOS Physios need to take the […]
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois — 7Made four saves that kept Real Madrid within one goal of Barcelona. Without him, this could have gotten away. Raúl Asencio — 6.5Put in a strong defensive shift against Raphinha for long stretches, but struggled badly on the ball. Clearly uncomfortable under pressure from the right-back […]
AUDIO: VIDEO: On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, Sam Sharpe, and Leah Revelle discuss: Did you enjoy this podcast? Get a ton of bonus content exclusively on Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is […]
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso spoke to the media after their 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa final. He was asked about Kylian Mbappé’s fitness, to which he said: “He wasn’t ready to start with the intensity the match was going to have, and that’s why we decided against it. Kylian was supposed to […]
Real Madrid suffered defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a 3-2 final scoreline on Sunday night. Raphinha scored twice for the Catalans, with Vinícius Júnior and Gonzalo García on the scoresheet either side of a Robert Lewandowski chip in injury time of the first half, to get […]
Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (Vinícius Júnior & García). No trophy this time… Here is the immediate reaction to the final. Do not miss: Player ratings, spicy interviews and a live podcast with Kiyan. Atlético Madrid had been beaten, but Barcelona would be a whole different beast in the Spanish SuperCup final. Kylian Mbappé was back, but […]
Real Madrid have published their starting lineup for the upcoming match against Barcelona in La Liga. Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Fede Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Gonzalo and Vinicius. Barcelona starting XI (TBC): Joan García, Koundé, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Balde; Pedri, Eric García; Lamine Yamal, Fermín, Raphinha; Lewandowski. Mbappé will start […]