Xabi Alonso says "I did my best" at Real Madrid but did he?

Xabi Alonso has left Real Madrid after just seven months in charge at the Estadio Bernabeu and penned a heartfelt farewell message. The Spaniard's departure came as a shock on Monday when the club confirmed he had parted ways.

Madrid's 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final led to Alonso leaving the day after and was presented as a "mutual agreement." If that's the case it means both felt the best decision was to end the relationship rather than fight on and get past the issues occuring behind the scenes.

Alonso arrived as one of Europe's most admired coaches after overseeing an unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season at Bayer Leverkusen. But he might not have the confidence to succeed at a club of Madrid's stature.

Alonso's farewell messsage

Alonso broke his silence after leaving Madrid with a message to Madrid and the fans, speaking of his gratitude despite the short time spent in charge. He wrote on his Instagram:

"This chapter of my career has come to an end, and it hasn't gone as we would have liked. Coaching Real Madrid has been both an honour and a responsibility. I thank the club, the players, and above all, the fans and Madrid fans for their trust and support."I leave with respect, gratitude, and pride that I did my best."

Alonso oversaw 24 wins in 34 games as Madrid boss, with a win percentage that puts him in the top five managers in the club's history. But rumors of tension between the manager and players were a constant throughout the season especially a supposed rift with Vinicius Junior.

There are also said to have been concerns upstairs about his coaching methods and Florentino Perez wasn't a fan of his training sessions. The fact that his reign ended immediately after an El Clasico defeat in a final suggests player power has won over backing the coach.

Alonso needed to assert more authority

Alonso has a bright future ahead of him despite the dissapointing spell at Madrid which he will have on his resume. There's no doubting his coaching credentials, having seen his success at Leverkusen which was reliant on time and allowing him to build a team in his image.

But one of the Spaniard's faults was that he didn't get stricter with his team and allowed egos to run wild. He tried his best to take the club in a new direction but didn't stamp down his authority enough and that includes putting players in their place and making clear why they should follow his footballing philosophy.

When Alonso reflects on his brief spell in the Bernabeu hotseat he'll surely look back with regret. Particularly losing himself in a team full of superstar talent that want to play manager themselves.