Real Madrid announced on Monday the departure of Xabi Alonso as manager, having only been appointed in May 2025. His short tenure in charge is not what fans were expecting when he was hired, and it has led many to question where it all went wrong for the Spaniard at the club where he found incredible success as a player.
Xabi Alonso got his men off to a flying start to the season, but had been in poor form in November and December. However, he turned it around recently and there was no cause for him to lose his job. Tension among squad members towards Alonso seems to have been the main cause of the manager's downfall, and all fans can agree.
There is one moment in particular that we can point to that signalled the beginning of the end for Alonso, and the player responsible still refuses to take accountability for the problems his antics have caused this season.
Vinicius Jr's latest antic explains Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid demise
As being reported by ESPN (via Madrid Universal on X) Vinicius Jr has made up his mind and he will not post a farewell message for Xabi Alonso on social media. The Brazilian remains the only player in the squad yet to speak about the managers sacking and it seems it will stay that way.
This is a bad look for the Brazilian as many would point the finger at him being one of the main catalysts for Alonso's downfall at Real Madrid. Everyone remembers Vini's outburst at Xabi Alonso following his substitution in El Clásico back in October, and that served as the exact moment the manager started to lose the dressing room due to the Brazilian's reaction and the club's failure to punish him.
Vini's antics have started to become out of control this season compared to the past, and now with the Brazilian avoiding accountability for the part he played in the manager's downfall, it shows a broader issue at hand at Madrid.
This season has been far from Vini's best and even his best form doesn't justify actions like we've seen from him this season. We've seen the Brazilian get called out a number of times this season by former Real Madrid players like Toni Kroos telling him he needs to calm down and respect the manager and his teammates for the betterment of the team but nothing has changed and we are now at the point we need to start questioning the negative impact Vinicius has had on the team this season.