Real Madrid are considering sacking Xabi Alonso after their defeat to Man City.

In the final 10 minutes of the first half at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid's slender lead vanished. Rodrygo opened the scoring, but Nico O'Reilly equalized, and Erling Haaland scored from a penalty to seal the victory, ending a Champions League night where 2,500 away fans cheered louder than the jeers. The loud music after the match couldn't dispel the unease: Xabi Alonso's seat was shaking violently.

Alaves is the ultimatum.

According to BBC Sport, Xabi Alonso's position is not immediately over. Real Madrid's board, led by Florentino Perez, held a lengthy meeting after the defeat against Celta Vigo and continued to deliberate after the loss to Manchester City. The temporary decision: Alonso will remain in his position for the next few days, but the weekend away match against Alaves is seen as a crucial turning point. A third consecutive defeat could bring an end to the short reign of the former Bayer Leverkusen coach.

The dressing room voiced its support.

Amidst the immense pressure, Alonso's most important pillar of support is the commitment of his key players. Jude Bellingham affirmed: “I have a great relationship with him, and so do many of the other guys. In the last few games, we’ve let ourselves down. But nobody has given up, nobody is complaining or thinking that the season is over.”

This statement denies rumors of a "dismissal" due to disagreements with Alonso's coaching methods or pressing style. The group of players emphasized that the problem lay in their failure to fully follow instructions, rather than in the correctness or incorrectness of the system.

Ten minutes of collapse and vulnerability exposed.

Against Man City, Real Madrid showed moments of brilliance when Rodrygo opened the scoring. But the final 10 minutes of the first half saw everything fall apart: a Nico O'Reilly strike followed by a Haaland penalty turned the tide. These weren't just isolated goals conceded, but a reminder of Real's fragility at crucial moments in a match.

In the stands, the heavy silence of the Ultras after the second goal weighed more heavily than any whistle. When the final whistle blew, the cheers of the visiting team and the loud music at the Bernabeu only served to highlight the contrasting emotions: one side exhilarated, the other bracing itself in defeat.

The picture of performance: from peak to crisis

Real Madrid started the season like a dream, winning 13 of their first 14 matches. But a prolonged slump has seen them win only 2 of their last 8 games. In La Liga, Real are 4 points behind Barca. In the Champions League, their image as the reigning European champions has also been shaken.

Journalist Juan Castro (Marca) commented: “I don’t think Perez wants a coach who accepts defeat like this. But sacking Alonso is easy; finding a replacement in December is the difficult part.” That’s the paradox Real Madrid is facing: the pressure to make an immediate change clashes with the reality of a lack of candidates ready to take the hot seat mid-season.

Perez's problem and the answer at Mendizorrotza

The lack of viable immediate replacement options is likely the main reason why the dismissal notice hasn't been issued yet. Keeping Alonso for a few more days is Real's way of giving themselves a chance to avoid a hasty decision in December, but at the same time, putting all the weight on the upcoming 90 minutes.

Alonso still has the dressing room on his side, and that matters at this moment. But with Real Madrid constantly losing control of the game at crucial moments, any promises are only valuable if they translate into disciplined play and a result against Alaves. Otherwise, the ultimatum will become the verdict.

Xabi Alonso is walking a tightrope. And at the other end of the tightrope is the Bernabeu — where patience is always limited, but expectations are never low.