Alonso Wants a Fresh Start After 4-0 Disaster against PSG

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The 2025 Season will undoubtedly be a year to forget for Real Madrid, as they conclude the season with another disheartening 4-0 loss in the FIFA Club World Cup against PSG. 

Fans with Real Madrid tickets have gon through a lot. With consecutive defeats to FC Barcelona, being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal, being beaten twice, and finally the 4-0 loss in the semifinal against PSG, this will be the final nail in the coffin. 

The start for new Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has not been easy, and he assured the fans with Real Madrid tickets that it is time to go back and start from scratch. 

Alonso wants a Restart

Xabi Alonso is looking forward to “starting from scratch” with Real Madrid next season after being thrown in at the deep end as coach of the Spanish giants in the Club World Cup.

Alonso was given a reality check on Wednesday as Madrid were eliminated 4-0 by European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal at the MetLife Stadium.

“PSG are a team who have been built over time, whereas we are practically just beginning,” Alonso said after seeing Real Madrid go two goals behind inside nine minutes.

It was 3-0 before half-time, and PSG added a late fourth as they advanced to Sunday’s final against Chelsea.

“We have lots of room for improvement. There are many things that we want to do better,” Alonso added.

“We have to be self-critical. This will tell us things for the future that will help us to compete at a much better level than we did today.”

Alonso was appointed at the end of May, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti after a successful two-and-a-half years at Bayer Leverkusen.

Real finished as runners-up to Barcelona in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and were eliminated from the Champions League in the quarter-finals against Arsenal.

The Basque technician, a former Madrid player, would have preferred a full pre-season with his squad before being thrust into competitive action, and it was always going to be a big ask for them to beat PSG’s well-oiled machine.

“They are at a very high level and have been since the start of the knockout phase of the Champions League,” Alonso said.

“They have shown it again here, and we have to accept it — we are just beginning, learning things about where we want to go and how we are going to get there.”

Real eased into the knockout phase of the Club World Cup despite being held by Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in their opening game.

They then recorded narrow wins over Juventus and Borussia Dortmund before suffering their first defeat on Wednesday. The loyal Los Blancos fans with Real Madrid tickets hoped that the FIFA Club World Cup would serve as a consolation prize for the season they had, but PSG were too good. 

Alonso demonstrated his tactical flexibility during the tournament by switching between a back four and a three-person central defence.

Kylian Mbappe was used sparingly and sat out the group stage after being hospitalised with a stomach bug, but there were positives elsewhere.

New signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen got their first taste of action for the club, and young striker Gonzalo Garcia made a big impression with four goals in the first five matches.

Luka Modric, 39, made his farewell appearance against PSG, bringing down the curtain on a glorious 13-year spell at the club. He is now set to join AC Milan.

“This game is the last match of this season, not the start of the next one,” Alonso insisted.

“We will take positives away from this. We come away from here a better team, and I am convinced this will help us start next season better.”

Like all the European teams that have advanced deep into the Club World Cup, the turnaround to next season will be swift.

Alonso’s La Liga debut as Real Madrid coach is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, at home to Osasuna.

Attempts to have the fixture postponed have so far been unsuccessful, meaning there are fewer than six weeks for the players to have a break and then embark on a full pre-season with their new coach.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has insisted that Rodrygo‘s absence against Paris Saint-Germain was not related to his future amid links to Arsenal.

Reason Not to Play Rodrygo

Attacker Rodrygo was an unused substitute against the French side, and it was the fifth consecutive match that the Brazilian had started on the bench.

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, manager Alonso claimed that the Brazilian was left on the bench due to tactical reasons, saying: “I didn’t play Rodrygo for a technical decision. We thought we would be better off with other players. It’s not about his future.”

Rodrygo Situation 

Rodrygo has been linked with a move away to several clubs this summer, with Arsenal reportedly being one of his most ardent admirers.

While Alonso has insisted that he is happy to keep Rodrygo at the club, the 24-year-old is unlikely to be satisfied with his position in the team, considering he has rarely been allowed to play in his favoured left-sided role due to Mbappe and Vinicius Junior being prioritised.

Match Postponement 

La Liga has not granted Real Madrid’s request to postpone their opening fixture of the 2025/26 season against Osasuna, scheduled for Tuesday, 19 August.

The regulations stipulate a minimum of three weeks’ rest and three weeks of pre-season for players.

On that basis, the Spanish capital club requested a rescheduling of the match to October 29, a proposal supported by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and Osasuna.

La Liga, however, maintains that the 2024/25 season for Real Madrid officially concluded in June with the final matchday of the league, and that it is the Club World Cup that has disrupted the calendar.

Furthermore, La Liga points out that it has already taken Real Madrid’s situation into account by scheduling the fixture for Tuesday, August 19, despite the matchday originally being set to end on Monday.

Tickets for the La Liga opener between Real Madrid and Osasuna are now available to purchase.

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