Real’s big-name players over the years have tended to get their way over coaches. That was certainly the case when they had nine managers in seven years between Vicente del Bosque leaving in June 2003 and José Mourinho’s appointment in 2010. Ancelotti’s last four years were the longest in post since Miguel Muñoz’s 16-year reign ended in 1974. In his two spells, Ancelotti was, famously, not trying to rebuild the club in any particular way. He was often a light hand on the tiller.
But for Alonso’s generation of coaches, that is not the way. At Leverkusen, where he broke Bayern’s run of 11 straight titles, the hierarchy was clear: the sporting director was king and the coach was expected to drill and organise a squad recruited largely by others. All elements – tactical, fitness, sports science, data – were applied and every player was subject to those demands. Some are more equal than others, but none can afford to step outside the system.
At Real the ultimate power lies with Pérez, who has dominated the membership for so long that the club is a one-party state. From him it also flows to the famous names in the dressing room and they have seen how predecessors have flexed that muscle at times.
Are Real ready for a young, progressive coach like Alonso who is eager to make big changes? They do not tend to appoint young coaches and, excluding Jorge Valdano in the 1990s and later Zidane, who were both internal hires, you have to go back a long way to find someone younger. Benito Floro, appointed in 1992 aged 40, is not among the club’s most celebrated coaches.
Alonso is coaching as he has learnt to do – according to the rigour of his profession in the modern era and in a similar fashion to his contemporaries. It certainly worked in Germany. The question is whether it works in Real, where not everyone seems to like it.
