Kylian Mbappé became the first to post to Alonso following a viral clip that captured the coach's order forbidding Real Madrid players from lining up to applaud Barcelona.
On 13 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Kylian Mbappé emerged as the first Real Madrid player to express his view after Xabi Alonso was dismissed as head coach less than 24 hours following Real Madrid's 2-3 loss to long-time rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The French striker shared a message on his personal Instagram, posting a photo of him embracing Alonso, believed to have been taken at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, along with a note of thanks to the former coach: "Although it was a short time, I was very happy to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for your confidence from day one. I will remember you as a manager with clear ideas and deep understanding of football. Best wishes for your future path."
Mbappé's remarks align with his outstanding performance under Alonso's management, having scored 29 goals and provided 5 assists in just 25 appearances this season.
However, the message came amid criticism suggesting Mbappé undermined the coach's authority following the Super Cup defeat. A clip circulating on social media showed Alonso trying to gather players to line up and applaud Barcelona in the traditional manner, but Mbappé expressed displeasure and walked away. Alonso then relented to the key striker, leading to perceptions that Madrid showed disrespect to their rivals.
Watch the clip here.
BBC Sport further reported that the two had a tactical argument ahead of the El Clásico match last Sunday.
Alonso had managed Real Madrid for just eight months after making history by leading Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title. He started his tenure in the Spanish capital impressively, winning 13 of the first 14 league games, but defeat to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League in early November marked a turning point after which the team's form noticeably declined.
Pressure intensified amid rumors of internal discord, with Spanish media reporting at least five players were unhappy with Alonso's management style, including Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior, who raised concerns about tactics, especially Alonso's insistence on building play from the back.
Vinícius showed clear dissatisfaction after being substituted in the El Clásico match in late October. Although he later apologized to teammates, the club, and the president, he did not mention Alonso by name.
Meanwhile, team captain Federico Valverde reportedly lost confidence in the coach's approach and denied rumors that he refused to play in the Champions League match against Kairat Almaty after being assigned to right back, a position he has openly stated he was "not born to play."
Although Alonso led the team to five consecutive wins during Christmas, it was insufficient for the board to retain him. There is speculation the former coach may return to work in the Premier League in the near future.