‘There Will Be Changes’—Xabi Alonso Sends Ominous Real Madrid Warning After PSG Defeat | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has admitted he learned a lot from his side’s humbling defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, warning the squad that he plans to make changes this summer.

Alonso had enjoyed a solid start to life with Los Blancos but was sent a brutal reality check as the Champions League winners roared to an utterly dominant 4–0 victory in the semifinal of the Club World Cup, in which Madrid failed to create a single big chance and managed just 32% possession.

It was the first loss of Alonso’s tenure and the crushing extent of the defeat saw the new manager issue a strong warning to his current squad.

“I now know certain things for certain, I know some facts,” Alonso reflected after the game. “There will be changes.

“I’m leaving with certainties. This game, this championship, has told me a lot about who we are and what we need to improve. I’m leaving with a composition for next year based on the players we’ll be getting back. This is the last game of the 2024–25 season, and in August we’ll start the 2025–26 season, which will be a little different. We’re starting from scratch.

Madrid were no match for PSG. / IMAGO/ABACAPRESS

“Today, we’ll analyze all the decisions differently, and I’ll do the same; I’m self-critical. We’re all together, we’ve got a period now, and the start of the 2025–26 season will be from scratch.”

Pushed on whether he was hinting at making new signings, Alonso admitted there could be new faces making the move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

“We haven’t talked about the composition of the squad during the [Club] World Cup,” the Madrid boss explained. “We’re willing to improve, and there’s room for improvement.”

A new central midfielder could emerge as a priority for Alonso as defeat to PSG marked the end of Luka Modrić’s illustrious Madrid career. The Croatia veteran has penned an agreement to join AC Milan on a free transfer.