Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso says he is eager to “start from scratch” with his squad next season after a sobering 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Alonso, who only took charge of the Spanish giants in late May following a successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, admitted the gulf in preparation and cohesion was evident as European champions PSG raced into a 3-0 lead by halftime at MetLife Stadium before adding a late fourth.
“PSG are a team who have been built over time, whereas we are practically just beginning,” Alonso said. “We have to be self-critical. This will tell us things for the future that will help us to compete at a much better level than we did today.”
Real Madrid entered the tournament following a season in which they finished second to Barcelona in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals to Arsenal. Despite narrow wins over Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, their Club World Cup run ended abruptly against a dominant PSG side.
Alonso stressed that the tournament finale was not a reflection of the season to come. “This game is the last match of this season, not the start of the next one. We will take positives away from this. We come away from here a better team.”
Among those positives were the performances of young striker Gonzalo Garcia, who scored four goals in the tournament, and debut appearances from new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric, 39, made his final appearance for the club and is now set to join AC Milan, marking the end of a glittering 13-year stint in Madrid.
Real Madrid’s rebuild will begin swiftly, with Alonso’s first La Liga match set for August 19 against Osasuna, a tight turnaround that leaves under six weeks for rest and preseason preparation. Requests to postpone the fixture have so far been denied.
The club will also welcome 17-year-old Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono from River Plate in the coming weeks, after agreeing a €63 million ($74 million) deal last month.
“In August the 2025/26 season begins,” Alonso said. “Things are going to be different. We are starting from scratch.”
Written By Rodney Mbua
