Speaking at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso addressed speculation on his future by saying, “Real Madrid is demanding, that’s clear. But I’m certainly not the first coach to have to deal with these situations. They’re not new. You have to learn to live with them. We’re being self-critical, we’re not happy with the last few games. But we also see where we are in La Liga and the Champions League. All things considered, I’m enjoying it, yes.”
Xabi Alonso on what he wants to see
“It’s turning out
to be what I expected, a very demanding job. There are moments when you need to concentrate, others when you need to react. But I’m enjoying everything, the whole package.”
Xabi Alonso on how important managing players’ egos is
“It’s as important as the football side of things, the tactical work and the physical work. It’s fundamental, at Madrid as at any team.”
Xabi Alonso on what’s needed in this game
“We need a good game, to get back to winning ways. We have to play well and stay focused. It’s an important game for the standings.”
Xabi Alonso on his players
“They’re demanding, they’re professionals. They have these kinds of situations, but they’re what make them who they are. And then you have to connect with them.”
Xabi Alonso on whether a player is more important than a coach
“I think that in every team, the most important thing is the players. The decisive factor is the quality of the players, their attitude, how well prepared they are… We support them and we have to be there for them.”
Xabi Alonso on whether players can get a coach fired
“You have to have a lot of respect for the players. I’m not going to talk about that. I know what the dressing rooms are like, what you have to go through and how you have to deal with the noise from outside. These are situations that cannot cause us to lose focus. The results are not what we wanted, we know the consequences, but they must not take us off the path we want to follow.”
Xabi Alonso on Olympiacos winning the UEFA Youth League and the Conference League
“I didn’t know about the Youth League, but I did know about the Conference. I don’t just follow Olympiacos because we play against them. I follow them because I have a lot of respect for Mendilibar and Darko Kovacevic. Mendilibar is a great coach who plays very intense football and is getting the recognition he already had at Eibar and other clubs, and now also has at Olympiacos.”
Xabi Alonso on Real Madrid never winning in Greece
“We’ve talked about it. Hopefully we can win tomorrow.”
Xabi Alonso on people questioning him before 100 days in charge
“We know what time it is, and we know where we stand in La Liga and the Champions League. What concerns me is what happens in Valdebebas or tomorrow on the pitch, and I don’t pay attention to anything else.”
Xabi Alonso on whether the veterans have stepped up
“This will continue to evolve, on an individual, personal, collective, and soccer level. Sometimes there is a straight line, sometimes a curve, like now. Tomorrow we have an opportunity, and that is where our focus lies.”
Xabi Alonso on whether his locker rooms as a player ever had similar situations
“All experiences help, and having met those great players who had that ambition helps you at this moment in time when my position is different. But the instinct you need to have in the dressing room isn’t that different.”
Xabi Alonso on whether he needs a message from the club
“It’s not necessary. I spoke with the president this morning and I also spoke with José Ángel. Day-to-day communication is what keeps us connected.”
Xabi Alonso on Mendilibar saying that he hasn’t had enough time yet
“It’s a process. All change takes time. Nothing happens overnight, and if we look at the last three games, there are things I haven’t liked and we’ve talked about them. But if we look back, we’ve also done some good things. We haven’t been consistent in some phases of the game and that’s why we’ve had some bad games. But now it’s time to focus on tomorrow.”
Xabi Alonso on whether he thinks players don’t understand his message
“Not at all. What we talk about is very clear; it doesn’t change that much from game to game. After all, it’s football.”
