Xabi Alonso Leaves Real Madrid after Loss to Barcelona; Club Names Replacement

Real Madrid has announced the departure of manager Xabi Alonso following their Spanish Super Cup final loss to rivals Barcelona. Speculation has not gone away about the ex-midfielder's position at Los Blancos, with reports suggesting the 44-year-old was not an entirely popular figure in the dressing room. Now, Madrid state Alonso has left by "mutual consent."

Less than a day after Madrid went down to a dramatic 3-2 loss to Barcelona in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Los Blancos have decided to move on from the former Bayer Leverkusen manager - who only joined the Spanish outfit last summer. The Santiago Bernabéu club stressed this was a "mutual agreement" between Madrid and Alonso, and wished the Spaniard well in the future.

The statement reads: "Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first team coach. Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home. Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives."

Real Madrid star forward Kylian Mbappé wished Alonso well following his departure, saying: "It’s been short but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day 1 … I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter." 

When Madrid beat rivals Barcelona in late October, they were sitting pretty at the top of La Liga. They were five points clear of the