Against Espanyol last month, Alonso subbed out Vinícius Júnior during a cooling break in the 77th minute, while Real Madrid was winning 2-0. Despite Alonso’s attempt to explain the move to the player and calm him down, the Brazilian was “visibly frustrated.”

The two managers meet on Wednesday in a Champions League match that is already key to Alonso's future at Real Madrid

Bayern Munich legends Oliver Kahn and Dietmar Hamann have delivered a damning verdict on Xabi Alonso’s tumultuous start at Real Madrid. Kahn argues the Spaniard’s tactical obsession clashes with the club’s DNA, while Hamann claims the squad are now 'untrainable' after Vinicius Jr was allowed to undermine the manager’s authority.

When Mo Salah lit his long-term relationship with Liverpool on fire over the weekend, there was always going to be fallout and it culminated with the Egyptian being left home for Liverpool’s Champions League game vs. Inter Milan:

In a thrilling encounter set for December 11th at 4:00 AM Beijing time, Real Madrid will host Manchester City in the sixth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage. This match marks the first coaching clash between two football legends, Xabi Alonso and Pep Guardiola, who previously shared the pitch during their playing careers.

The mood around Real Madrid can swing quickly, but even accounting for that, the boos that rang around Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday after the team lost 2-0 to Celta Vigo were as clear a sign as any – manager Xabi Alonso is in trouble,