The Xabi Alonso sack news is just the latest of its kind in world football. After the Supercopa final loss, Real Madrid announced that they were parting ways with the 44-year-old Spanish manager. After Chelsea and Manchester United, Real Madrid have now become the latest big club to sack their manager in January 2026.
Real Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the final of the Supercopa de España on Saturday, January 11, in Dubai. Alonso was visibly not on the same page with his players, as far as doing a guard of honour during the post-match presentation was concerned.
The Xabi Alonso sacking followed, and now the Spaniard, who won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen a couple of seasons back, is now free to take up the reins of any other club. One cannot help but wonder whether Manchester United have taken note of the Xabi Alonso sacking by Real Madrid.
It is a coincidence, but the Xabi Alonso sacking has taken place when United are in the lookout for a manager.
Will Manchester United Benefit From the Xabi Alonso Sacking?
United have been in doldrums for quite some time now, finishing as low as 15th in the league table last season. Managers have come and gone at regular intervals, with Ruben Amorim becoming the latest casualty.
Alonso does not have the same bonhomie with the Manchester United board and management as Michael Carrick, who is reported to be a frontrunner for the job of caretaker manager at Manchester United, does.
However, both as a player and a manager, the stature of the Spanish World Cup winner is bigger than that of Carrick. Unlike Carrick, Alonso could be a long-term option for a club like United.
However, what Alonso has is the experience of having played at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich under managers like Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. He won Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title as their manager, which is a very good feat in a league also comprising Bayern Munich.
Alonso’s performance as Real Madrid manager has not been bad either. His former team are only four points behind Barca in the league table after 19 rounds of matches and lost narrowly to their Catalan rivals in the final of the Supercopa de España.
Alonso is young, has an attractive profile both as a player and a manager and has the experience of playing in England. All of that should compel the United management to think of him as a potential long-term replacement for Amorim. Moreover, if appointed, Alonso will not encounter as many superstar egos inside the Manchester United dressing-room as he did in the Real Madrid one.
However, going by United’s recent track record, it is unlikely that they will sit up and take notice. A very distasteful mediocrity seems to have been prevailing at United for close to a decade now.
Manchester United, despite being one of the biggest clubs in the world, seems to be willing to give the reins of the club to young and upcoming managers, who do not have the clout to go against the whims and fancies of the board.
Alonso Should Not Be Sitting Idle for Long
Alonso is a top manager and should not be available for long. Hence, if the Red Devils have any intention of roping him in, they will have to act fast. It remains to be seen whether the Spaniard will become the new Manchester United manager.
They might take from Manchester City, who did not waste any time in appointing Pep Guardiola in 2016, when the latter left Bayern Munich. Xabi Alonso’s managerial career so far cannot quite be compared with Guardiola’s when the latter arrived in England, but there are similarities. It is difficult, however, to ascertain whether United will ultimately benefit from the Xabi Alonso sacking.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Ball Raw Images
Recording Date: 11.01.2026
