Real Madrid’s shock 0–2 defeat to Celta Vigo has intensified the pressure on Xabi Alonso, whose position on the touchline is now under serious scrutiny.
However, former Real Madrid manager and club legend Jorge Valdano has stepped in to offer a very different perspective on the crisis, firmly shifting the responsibility away from the coach and directly onto the players.
Speaking on Movistar, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Valdano began by defending Alonso’s credibility. He stated,
“I consider Xabi to be a reliable coach. It’s the players who aren’t running, not the coach. The team needs to be more aggressive, and that’s up to the players.
“The coach has to ensure order. He has to keep the players motivated… all that is the coach’s job, but I was surprised that after such a complete game in Bilbao, the team lacked any aggressiveness and took so long to wake up.
“Only when the situation is desperate, when we’re losing 0-1, a player is sent off, things get complicated, do they activate another level of commitment in the game?” he said.
Analysing the situation
Valdano then analysed what went wrong tactically, pointing out that the issues seen against Celta had already surfaced in previous matches. Offering context before his criticism, he remarked,
“We saw several of the flaws we had been pointing out before Bilbao. The lack of aggressiveness in pressing.
“That’s where the team loses control of the game, letting the opponent play very comfortably.”
He continued, “Then, it’s a team that, when in control, doesn’t move the ball with enough intensity to enable the forwards to play with a certain ease.
“Today it took Vinicius 35 minutes to get into the game, and Mbappe took a free kick and a chip shot that didn’t go in by chance.
Real Madrid struggled against Celta Vigo. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“That’s not enough for a player who is possibly the best in the world and who needs to be constantly sought out.”
Criticism towards the players
The Argentine icon also highlighted how Real Madrid struggled even before the sending-off, noting the team’s lack of structure and urgency. He explained,
“While it was eleven against eleven, Real Madrid had a lot of trouble containing a very calm Celta side, who moved the ball around with ease because Madrid weren’t pressing aggressively enough.
“Curiously, when a Real Madrid player was sent off, Celta started to misread the game, partly because Real Madrid suddenly found their aggression.
“Perhaps the minutes following the sending off were Real Madrid’s best.”
Valdano further distanced himself from the fan-led criticism of the referee, refusing to use officiating as an excuse. He clarified his stance by saying,
“It was a game in which the referee played a major role, but Real Madrid cannot blame the referee for this defeat.
“A lot of things happened that were strictly related to the game,”
While expressing his sorrow over Eder Militao’s injury, he noted,
“It’s terrible news because he’s the defender who gave you the most assurance and gave the impression that he had become the leader of the entire defensive line.
“It’s a terrible injury. He was in a glorious moment,” he concluded.
