Real Madrid's 3-0 win at San Mames seemed to have calmed the stormy waters surrounding the team, but it turned out to be nothing more than an illusion in the midst of a crisis that became irreparable after Sunday's collapse against Celta at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The defeat (2-0) to the Galician side, combined with the team's poor performance, has left one person clearly in the spotlight: Xabi Alonso.
The influence of the Basque coach is becoming less and less evident on the pitch, and, according to Flashscore's sources, those in charge at the club have decided his time on the bench is up.
There are only two reasons why the former Madrid midfielder didn't say goodbye after Sunday's loss: the imminent Champions League clash against Manchester City (Wednesday, December 10th, 21:00 CET) and the fact that Madrid has yet to finalise the selection of his replacement.
Even so, Florentino Perez was unequivocal after the Celta loss and made it clear that he has already decided to let Alonso go as soon as he finds a candidate who meets his expectations.
The favourite and 'plan B'
According to our sources, the president's priority is to restore the positive atmosphere that prevailed in the squad under Carlo Ancelotti's leadership. To achieve this, his preferred choice is someone who has delivered outstanding results for him in various spells, Zinedine Zidane.
The issue with the Frenchman is that he has already agreed to take charge of France after the 2026 World Cup, but the president's intention for almost a month now has been to put him in charge of the team during this challenging period.
If the Zizou option falls through, the second in line to succeed Alonso would be another former player, Alvaro Arbeloa, who is doing an excellent job in his first season in charge of Castilla.
It's still unclear who will be Real Madrid's next coach, but all signs point to Alonso counting down the days to say goodbye to a chapter that hasn't gone as he hoped.
