In an interview with AS USA, former Spanish international Gaizka Mendieta offered a sharp tactical and psychological analysis of Real Madrid’s current situation — from stylistic expectations under Xabi Alonso to Álvaro Arbeloa’s motivational approach and the unique pressure of coaching a superclub.
“We’ve Never Seen Real Madrid Play Like That”
Mendieta was blunt when addressing stylistic comparisons.
“I said that Real Madrid wouldn’t play in Xabi’s style because they don’t have those players. They’re not that type. You can’t expect Vinicius, Mbappé, and Bellingham to press for 90, 80, or 70 minutes; suddenly you have four or five players who don’t do what Xabi did at Leverkusen, with a different profile. It’s simply a different squad. We’ve never seen Real Madrid play like that.”
Arbeloa’s Immediate Shift in Tone
Mendieta also highlighted how Álvaro Arbeloa reframed the atmosphere when stepping into a leadership role.
“Arbeloa changed the narrative immediately: he said, ‘I want my players to attack. I want my players to have fun.’ He wanted to get inside their heads and motivate them.”
The Art of Convincing Stars
For Mendieta, elite coaching at Real Madrid is not primarily about diagrams or conditioning.
“It’s simply a different kind of player management. Good coaches, or great coaches, convince players to do what they want in a way that fosters commitment. You can’t expect players to do everything you want if it’s not in their nature, and you have to give something too.
“That’s why managing these big clubs is so difficult. It’s not about systems or physical conditioning. Nowadays, many coaches can do that to a certain extent. It’s about how you get the players to do what you want and keep them motivated throughout the season. That’s another challenge for coaches of big clubs.”
“They Didn’t Give Xabi the Time He Needed”
Perhaps Mendieta’s most pointed comments were reserved for Xabi Alonso’s tenure and the institutional support — or lack thereof — behind it.
“But I don’t think they gave Xabi the time he needed. They didn’t give him what he really asked for. Obviously, it was up to him to accept or not. When he started, the demands—not wanting to go to the Club World Cup, needing a midfielder, a center-back, a defensive midfielder, defenders… All the requests he made, I suppose, during the initial negotiations with Real Madrid, he didn’t get. He just carried on and did what he could.”