How do you manage a locker room? That was one of the questions posed to Xabi Alonso during his press conference this Friday morning. "Be yourself. The key is to be authentic, without pretending. Always think about the team's best interests. Maintain good relationships, based on respect, while understanding that everyone is different. Emotional intelligence is essential ," the Spanish coach replied. His principles were clearly not followed by Vinicius Jr. last Sunday, after he was substituted. The Brazilian then put on a show, ranting and clearly displaying his displeasure. Since then, the Spanish press has been having a field day with this controversy, which resulted in an apology from the Real Madrid player . However, Xabi Alonso was not mentioned in the apology .
“It was a very valuable and very positive statement. He was honest, he spoke sincerely. What he said was the most important thing, and I was very satisfied with it. The matter was closed on Wednesday ,” the coach remarked in response to a question about his absence from Vini’s message. He had previously confirmed that the player had also apologized to the locker room. “We had a meeting with everyone on Wednesday, and Vinicius was impeccable. He spoke frankly and behaved very well. For me, it’s settled ,” Xabi Alonso explained. According to him, all’s well that ends well, but it will take more to convince the Spanish press, which has repeatedly declared that the break between the two men was complete, and that Vinicius was even considering leaving.
Xabi Alonso wants to move on.
“No, there will be no reprisals ,” the Real Madrid coach assured, wanting to put an end to the discussion. “I think I’ve explained things sufficiently. I understand that you’re focused on this point. The decision was made on Wednesday. We had a very good week. What worries me is Valencia. I understand you, but I’d like you to understand mine as well ,” he then asked the journalists present. They didn’t hesitate to follow up a few minutes later, asking him if he was afraid this situation might happen again. “I think the whole team, including Vinicius, is focused on the essentials: being on the pitch. The objective is the same for everyone. We want to keep the situation safe.”
For Xabi Alonso, one thing is certain: the incident is over. He wants to move on and will not punish his player excessively for his behavior. This won't stop observers from scrutinizing his upcoming team selections and substitutions. Real Madrid hosts struggling Valencia tomorrow in La Liga and travels to Liverpool on Tuesday for the Champions League . These two matches will reveal whether the wound has truly healed.
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