Benitez highlights Real Madrid’s political pressures in Xabi Alonso controversy

Rafa Benitez has claimed that factors beyond football may have contributed to Xabi Alonso’s dismissal as Real Madrid manager, suggesting the club’s internal politics made the Spaniard’s position more difficult.

Benitez, who previously managed Real Madrid, made the unexpected comments before Fulham’s meeting with Chelsea. Although attention was focused on the Premier League fixture, the experienced coach reflected on Alonso’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu and offered his perspective based on his own experience of working at the club.

“Xabi did a great job at Bayer Leverkusen, and that is why he moved to Real Madrid,” Benitez told the BBC, in comments reported by Mundo Deportivo. “There were similarities between us. He likes to work, to be organised and to speak with the players about what they want to achieve. But Real Madrid is surrounded by a lot of politics, and perhaps that made things more complicated.”

The remarks have brought renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid. Benitez’s comments suggest that the difficulties faced by his fellow Spaniard were not necessarily limited to tactical decisions, results or the day-to-day demands of coaching the first team.

Alonso has a long-standing connection with Real Madrid. He came through the club’s youth academy, coached Real Madrid Castilla and led the senior side for 18 matches at the beginning of the 2015-16 season. That background gives his experience at the Bernabeu an added significance, particularly when considered alongside Benitez’s own knowledge of the club’s structure and pressures.

The former Real Madrid manager also carries considerable authority because of his career in England, especially his time at Liverpool. It was at Liverpool that Benitez won the UEFA Champions League and established one of the most successful periods of his managerial career.

His assessment has therefore added weight to a view that is often discussed away from the spotlight: that political considerations at Real Madrid can influence the fate of even highly regarded managers.

Alonso’s reputation had been strengthened by his work at Bayer Leverkusen, where his performances helped lead to his move to Real Madrid. Yet Benitez believes the environment surrounding the Spanish giants can make the job more complicated than the football itself might suggest.

The comments were made in the build-up to Fulham’s match against Chelsea rather than at a dedicated discussion about Real Madrid, making the intervention particularly notable. Benitez’s decision to address Alonso’s situation, despite the focus being on the Premier League fixture, has reopened debate about what happened during the coach’s spell in the Spanish capital.

For Benitez, the issue reflects a broader reality at Real Madrid, where the role of a manager extends beyond training, tactics and conversations with players. In his view, the club’s internal political pressures may have played a significant part in Alonso’s exit.