Alonso’s challenge is not simply to lead Real Madrid past a more stable Barcelona. The biggest challenge is to break the “curse” that has seen every Spanish coach fail miserably at Real Madrid since 2003.

Two decades, six disappointments, one historical blemish
After Vicente del Bosque – who won seven titles, including two Champions Leagues – Real Madrid has experimented with domestic coaches. The result has been a series of tragedies: Camacho, Mariano Garcia Remon, Lopez Caro, Juande Ramos, Rafa Benitez and Julen Lopetegui. None of them lasted a season. Not a single trophy was won. If there is a “title” to call this tenure, it can only be “short, chaotic and unsuccessful”.

Rafa Benitez was once considered a long-term project – a man with a Champions League record from Liverpool, but he collapsed after 215 days and 25 matches. From the very beginning, he caused doubts when he did not dare to affirm that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in the world, when he adjusted Luka Modric not to use the outside of his foot, when he set the rules for the entire dressing room. The price was the indifference from the superstars – something that never existed under Carlo Ancelotti.

Julen Lopetegui was even more miserable. After only 137 days, 14 matches and a 1-5 loss to Barcelona, ​​he left in a dressing room without Ronaldo, and replacements like Mariano were not enough to fill the void. In a club where the “dressing room value” is always higher than the tactical scheme, Lopetegui – who was the national team coach – was swallowed up like a stranger.

Camacho, a one-time icon of Spanish football, even lasted just six games on his return to Real in 2004. He later said: “I don’t bother anyone if we win, but to win, they have to know who the opponent is. Even if I am a Galactico, I have to tell them how the opponent plays.” A right philosophy – but wrong environment.

It is impossible to talk about the Spanish coach curse without mentioning the most powerful man at the Bernabeu: Florentino Perez. From the decision not to renew Del Bosque’s contract – even though the coach had just won La Liga – to constantly changing coaches in the middle of the season, Florentino Perez has always pursued a model of “international, modern, strategic and… easy to control coach”.

The irony is that he, who once fired Del Bosque with the reason “need a coach with a higher tactical sense”, was later immersed in chaotic tenures with domestic coaches lacking the temperament to lead with huge egos.

Historically, Real Madrid have won 62 titles under foreign coaches, compared to 53 titles under Spanish coaches. This number does not simply reflect coaching ability, but also shows that the “power ecosystem” at the Bernabeu is only suitable for those who are far enough away to not be caught up in internal affairs – but close enough to control the arrogant ego of superstars.

Xabi Alonso – hope to break the curse or a new chapter of failure?

So what is different about Xabi Alonso?

First of all, he is not a stranger. He is a former Real Madrid player, played under Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti, and knows how things work at the Bernabeu. But more importantly, Alonso has proven his true ability as a coach with Bayer Leverkusen: going unbeaten in the Bundesliga, winning the domestic double and shaping a team that plays modern, dynamic and precise German football.

Leverkusen, however, are not Real Madrid. Winning is a must at the Bernabeu – and even that is sometimes not enough. Zinedine Zidane was questioned after winning the Champions League in his first season. Ancelotti was sacked shortly after winning the Copa del Rey and finishing second in La Liga.

Alonso brings with him a blend of “modern European football” and “a mentality of knowing where he is”. He may not make the mistakes of Benitez, who was too clear-cut. Nor the cowardice of Lopetegui, who failed to establish his authority. But Alonso will have to overcome a challenge that no one has done for two decades: being a successful Spanish coach at Real Madrid.

The question now is not “Is Xabi Alonso any good?”, but rather “Are Real Madrid ready for a successful Spanish coach?”. When the power structure is tilted towards the dressing room, when patience is a luxury, and when pressure from the president himself is part of the establishment, Alonso is facing a chess game that could decide his entire coaching career.

If he fails, he will be just another name added to the list of “who come and go” at the Bernabeu. But if he succeeds – Xabi Alonso will not only rewrite the history of Real Madrid, but also rewrite the chapter affirming the value of domestic coaches on the very land that is not meant for them.