Jude Bellingham has made it clear that Xabi Alonso still has the dressing room behind him despite Real Madrid’s latest setback against Manchester City and a worrying dip in form.
Alonso’s side suffered another painful night at the Bernabéu, letting a lead slip as two first-half goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland turned their Champions League tie on its head. Real were unable to respond after the break, slipping to a comeback defeat just days after a 2–0 home loss to Celta Vigo.
That result means Alonso has overseen only two wins in his last eight matches in charge, yet Bellingham insists the players remain firmly on their manager’s side.
“The manager’s been great” – Bellingham on Alonso
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Bellingham stressed both his own relationship with Alonso and the squad’s backing for the under-pressure coach.
“The manager’s been great. I’ve got a really good relationship with him and a lot of the lads do as well,” he said.
“After the first run of games we had some really honest conversations inside the club and we felt like we’d come out the other side of that bad spell. In the last couple of games we’ve let ourselves down again, but no one’s downing tools, no one’s moaning or acting like the season is over.”
The English midfielder underlined that the team’s problems are not about effort or attitude, but about execution and consistency in key moments.
Poor run stretches from Anfield to the Bernabéu
Real Madrid’s downturn began at Anfield last month, where they suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season against a struggling Liverpool side. Since then, their form has tailed off both in Europe and LaLiga.
They have been held to disappointing draws by Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, dropping points that ultimately cost them top spot in the league table. Barcelona have taken advantage despite losing El Clásico in October, when Real seemed to be on the rise.
The combination of sluggish results and growing tension around performances has put Alonso under intense scrutiny in Madrid. Questions over his game management and the team’s mentality have only grown after the back-to-back home defeats.
“We have everything we need to turn it around”
Despite the criticism and outside noise, Bellingham remains convinced that the current group – with Alonso in charge – can still rescue the season.
“As a player inside the dressing room, seeing what we’ve got in there and working with the coach every day, we have everything we need to turn it around,” he insisted.
“Maybe we need a bit of luck, maybe there are things we have to talk about internally, but I’ve got full faith that the season isn’t finished just because we’ve been on a bad run. Obviously as players it hurts us, and we’re going to do everything we can to put it right.”
With pressure mounting and results faltering, Bellingham’s words are both a defence of Alonso and a challenge to his teammates: Real Madrid’s season is not over yet, but they are running out of time to prove it.
