Mbappe Says Goodbye to Xabi Alonso, but No Message from Vinicius and Bellingham

Kylian Mbappe sends a farewell message to Xabi Alonso on Instagram (Instagram/@realmadrid).

JAKARTA - Kylian Mbappe paid tribute to Xabi Alonso after leaving Real Madrid with a short tenure of less than eight months.

The French star was among a number of Los Blancos players who have thanked Alonso on social media since the club announced Alonso's departure on Monday, January 16.

On the same day, Real Madrid also announced the arrival of Alvaro Arbeloa, coach of Real Madrid's reserve team, as his replacement.

"It's been short, but it's been an honor to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for giving me confidence from day one."

"I will remember you as a manager who has clear ideas and knows a lot about football. Good luck for the next round," wrote Mbappe, who started in 24 games under Alonso this season.

Brazilian striker Rodrygo also expressed his gratitude to Alonso.

"Coach, thank you for every day we've been through together, for the trust, the learning, and the moments we've experienced."

"I wish you great success in the future. May your career continue to grow! Always the best," wrote Rodrygo.

Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Carvajal were among the Real Madrid players who also thanked Alonso on social media.

However, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have not reacted to Alonso's departure. The Spanish coach has indeed had an increasingly tense relationship with Vinicius since the striker reacted angrily to being replaced in the El Clasico against Barcelona in October 2025.

Vinicius has been left out of the starting line-up on several occasions since then, which has further soured relations.

Although Real Madrid stated in a statement that the decision to part ways with Alonso was made by mutual agreement, ESPN summarized from various sources that it was a dismissal.

There are several reasons that led to this decision, but among them, they highlighted Vinicius' handling of the problem, poor play, and results.

The announcement from Real Madrid came less than 24 hours after a 2-3 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final (Supercopa de Espana) in Saudi Arabia.

Alonso was under pressure before Christmas after a run of poor results, winning just two of eight games, including defeats to Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Manchester City.

However, the team's performance has improved since then, with five wins before the El Clasico defeat on Monday, January 12, 2026 WIB.

Meanwhile in LaLiga, Real Madrid are four points behind leaders Barcelona.