Fired by Real Madrid, Alonso is praised by Hansi Flick as an extraordinary coach

Gilabola.com – Hansi Flick reacts to Real Madrid’s sacking of Xabi Alonso. The Barcelona manager praised Alonso as an extraordinary coach, although he acknowledged the situation Alonso experienced was part of football.

​​Expressing his views regarding Alonso’s sudden dismissal, Flick also chose to express respect and self-control rather than making statements that could invite controversy.

Ahead of the Copa del Rey round of 16 match against Racing Santander, early Friday 16 January 2026, the German coach acknowledged the toughness of the world of modern football while emphasizing that he prefers to stay away from debates surrounding decisions taken by rival clubs.

It was felt that Alonso’s departure happened too quickly, even less than 24 hours after Real Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

What Did Flick Say?

The timing of Madrid’s decision is certainly interesting, especially considering the significance of El Clasico and the pressure that follows such a painful defeat.

However, Flick refused to heat up discussions regarding this matter, and chose to focus on professionalism and empathy towards fellow coaches.

When asked directly about Alonso’s dismissal after the El Clasico match, Flick showed more respect.

He highlighted his personal relationship with Alonso, and underlined his admiration for the 44-year-old coach’s performance.

“It’s none of my business. I have a very good relationship with Xabi. He is an extraordinary coach. I wish him the best for his big project after this. Good luck to him,” said Flick.

The discussion didn’t end there, because Flick was asked to comment on other issues that affect football coaches around the world.

When asked about whether a manager is too easily fired in the world of modern football, the former Bayern Munich and German national team coach once again chose to be honest without controversy.

“It’s part of football. The club has to believe in you, and so does the team. They make the decisions,” he added.

Flick then emphasized that he did not want to discuss it further. That is none of my business. I don’t want to talk about it, because the job of a coach is very complicated. “We have a lot of responsibilities,” said Flick.

About Alvaro Arbeloa

After Alonso’s departure, Real Madrid confirmed that Alvaro Arbeloa was their new first team coach.

Arbeloa – who has worked with Real Madrid Castilla since June 2025, is very familiar with the club’s structure and youth development system.

When asked briefly about his opinion regarding the former Madrid defender, Flick tried to give a short and neutral answer.

“He played against me once when he was still a player, and I was already coaching at that time,” said Flick.

Revealed ASFlick was also reminded of his strong recent record against Real Madrid, but he refused to be satisfied with his past results.

“Sometimes you have to enjoy the situation as it happens, because things can change quickly. Barcelona people are extraordinary,” he added.

Our opinion

Hansi Flick seems to be trying to be neutral about what is happening at Real Madrid, in this case the dismissal of Xabi Alonso. Madrid’s actions may be surprising, but Flick does not want to interfere with the decisions taken by rival clubs.

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