Xabi Alonso has started his tenure as Real Madrid's coach with a strong stance and no half measures. The former footballer has made it clear from day one that he doesn't intend to make concessions or keep footballers who don't contribute. His project begins with authority and firm decisions that already mark a turning point.
At the White House, they have no doubts: experiments and players without immediate impact are over. The message has resonated in the locker room and there's already a first name highlighted by the coach. It's about a young prospect who arrived with high expectations but never managed to establish himself.
Xabi Alonso gives him no leeway: "He doesn't fit what I'm looking for"
The Basque coach wants a disciplined team, with a high tempo, constant pressing, and collective commitment without exception. In his new roadmap, there's no room for those who don't fit the profile. One of the first casualties of this philosophy is a footballer who has spent more time out on loan than at Valdebebas.
"I want a healthy, competitive locker room that's committed to the badge," sources close to Xabi Alonso say. That's why his decision has been firm and direct with one of the players who never found a place in the first team. His future, barring a miracle, is far from Santiago Bernabéu.
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After his arrival in 2020 for a figure close to €30 million, the club trusted he would become a star. But his loan in Germany and subsequent spells in Spain and Italy didn't convince. He couldn't adapt to the European pace or show what he promised at the beginning.
In Dortmund, he barely had any minutes, in Girona he showed flashes without consistency, and in Italy he was more shadow than light. Xabi Alonso knows it, has studied it, and has requested an immediate exit. There's no place for a new opportunity in his plans.
Goodbye to Bernabéu: the club seeks a permanent sale
The sporting management has already received the order to take action and find him a new destination as soon as possible. The goal is to close a permanent transfer, even if it's at a loss, though without losing total control. They're considering including buy-back clauses or keeping a percentage of a future sale.
There's interest from Brazil and Portugal, leagues where he could relaunch his career with less pressure and more minutes. He has also been offered to Spanish clubs, though with a more modest profile. The important thing is that he won't wear white again; that stage is completely closed.
The most striking thing is that, after five years linked to the club, he has never played a single official minute with the first team. His contract has been a headache and his progress stalled from his first steps in Europe. A failed bet that Xabi Alonso isn't willing to repeat.
The phrase circulating around the club sums it all up: "I don't want to see him in my locker room". With that, the message has been clear to both the player and the rest of the group. Whoever doesn't meet the standards has no place in the new Madrid.
The Brazilian, signed as a prospect from Flamengo, never managed to prove his worth in European soccer. His loans were insufficient, his impact nonexistent, and his commitment called into question. For Xabi Alonso, Reinier represents what he doesn't want in his project.
With more sorrow than glory, Reinier's story at Real Madrid comes to an end. A chapter that began with hope but ends with a definitive sentence: he won't remain a single day longer under the new coach's orders. Xabi Alonso's era begins with clear decisions.
