Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso opened himself after the heavy loss of his team for Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the Club World Cup.
The 0-4 defeat was a difficult pill for swallowing and Alonso did not hide his frustration. However, he remained calm and made it clear that this loss does not define what is for Real Madrid.
Alonso admitted that the team started with the right mindset but lost control early. “We wanted to start strongly because we knew how good PSG is.
“But after the 10th minute it became difficult. We didn't feel right on the field. It hurt to be 3-0. On 2-0 there is still a little hope, but the third goal was a blow,” he explained.
Despite the disappointment, Alonso chose to see the bigger whole. “This shows how much more work we have to do. PSG is in excellent condition and we still have areas to improve.
“We played with very little time to train. Now we will rest for a few weeks and come back stronger.
“This is not the starting point for next season. There are positive things in this process, perhaps not today. But today is not the start of the following season, it's the end of the latter.
Goodbye, missed opportunities and what comes next
The match also marked the farewell of two club veterans, Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez. Alonso recognized their contributions:
“It's not the farewell they deserved, but I tried to make sure they enjoyed their last days in a Madrid shirt. We thank them for everything they have given.”
In the absence of Rodrygo in the match, Alonso said: “It was just a tactical choice. We needed something else today. This competition was not about planning the future.”
When demanding the partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., Alonso kept things simple: “Misses teach us. If we keep repeating them, we don't get anywhere. Today was a lesson.”
Looking ahead, he hinted that new signing sessions could be considered. “We did not talk about the composition of the team during the World Cup, but we always want to improve. There is room for improvement,” he noticed.
This was not the end that Real Madrid hoped, but Alonso believes that it is only part of a larger journey, not the start of the next chapter, but the last page.