Xabi Alonso Real Madrid Alert: Del Bosque’s Defensive Warning

Xabi Alonso Real Madrid ambitions will soon place him in charge of a dressing room packed with attacking royalty, yet former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque believes the Basque tactician could quickly run into trouble if he demands too much defensive graft from Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Why the “Xabi Alonso Real Madrid” era may hinge on balance

When the Bayer Leverkusen boss eventually swaps the BayArena for the Bernabéu, he will inherit a front line that could include the long-courted Mbappé alongside Vinícius and Jude Bellingham. Del Bosque, who guided Madrid’s Galácticos to two Champions League titles, has warned that attempting to turn those explosive forwards into tireless pressers would be counter-productive. “You have to accept their flaws,” the 73-year-old told Spanish radio. “If you force them to defend for 90 minutes, you risk messing everything up.”

A lesson from the original Galácticos

Del Bosque’s own spell on the white bench featured similarly gifted yet defensively allergic stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo and Ronaldo. His solution was a clear division of labour: Claude Makélélé and the full-backs absorbed the workload while the artists painted masterpieces. The veteran coach believes that blueprint still applies, especially with two wingers who both love the left half-space.

The positional overlap problem

Both Mbappé and Vinícius instinctively drift to the inside-left channel to attack full-backs with pace. For Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid’s probable new commander, stitching them into one coherent system may prove tougher than finding a service route. Switching one to the right could blunt his threat, yet forcing either to track opposition full-backs would drain their energy where it matters most—inside the box.

How Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid can protect the forwards

Several tactical solutions stand out:

• Double pivot shield – Aurelien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga sitting in front of the defence could release both wide men from their heaviest duties.
• Asymmetric full-backs – Fran García or Alphonso Davies (if signed) could bomb forward on the left while Dani Carvajal stays deeper on the right, limiting Vinícius’s need to retreat.
• Rotational pressing – Demanding short, high-intensity sprints directly after a turnover—rather than relentless tracking—might satisfy Alonso’s preference for organisation without exhausting his stars.

Risk of injury and burnout

The modern calendar already pushes elite attackers past 60 matches per season, a reality Mbappé knows well from Paris Saint-Germain. Forcing him to charge back 40 metres every time Madrid lose the ball could amplify muscle-fatigue risks. Vinícius, meanwhile, has fought hamstring troubles whenever his minutes spike. Del Bosque’s warning is therefore as medical as it is tactical.

Voices inside Valdebebas

Club insiders remain confident Alonso will stick to his possession-based philosophy, honed with leverkusen’s fluid 3-4-2-1. They note that in Germany he has never shackled Florian Wirtz with heavy defensive chores, instead using wing-backs and holding midfielders to close gaps. Translating that model to La Liga would mean keeping Mbappé and Vinícius high, wide, and primed to counter, trusting Madrid’s athletic midfield to extinguish fires.

Comparisons with Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has already shown that a pragmatic approach can coexist with superstar freedom. Under the Italian, Vinícius rarely drops below the halfway line, while Bellingham is liberated to crash the box. Alonso, a former Ancelotti lieutenant, might borrow that template rather than impose the full-field gegenpress he once experienced at Liverpool.

Financial stakes are enormous

Should Mbappé arrive on a free transfer, his salary and signing-on fee could exceed €300 million over five years. Every minute he spends running after opposition full-backs is a minute not invested in match-winning moments. The same logic applies to Vinícius, recently extended until 2027 with a billion-euro release clause. Florentino Pérez did not sanction those deals to watch either man play auxiliary full-back.

Fans want entertainment

Santiago Bernabéu crowds have historically tolerated defensive imperfections from their idols, provided the net ripples at the other end. The whistles only start when risk-averse tactics produce sterile possession. Alonso must therefore walk a tightrope: keep the back door shut without muzzling two of the fastest attackers on the planet.

Can egos coexist?

Beyond tactics, dressing-room chemistry is pivotal. Mbappé arrives as World Cup winner and global icon; Vinícius, adored by Madridistas, already wears the No. 7 jersey once belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo. Clear roles and transparent communication will be essential. Del Bosque’s gentle admonition—“accept their flaws”—doubles as advice for man-management. Give them creative licence, and they will repay the faith with goals; restrict them, and friction may follow.

What history teaches

Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool provide contrasting case studies. Guardiola convinced Lionel Messi to press selectively, focusing on angles rather than distance covered. Klopp, meanwhile, built a front three of Salah, Mané and Firmino who embraced constant pressure. Alonso must decide which philosophy better suits the Bernabéu’s new weapons—without forgetting Del Bosque’s caveat.

Conclusion

Del Bosque’s public advice is less a critique and more a seasoned reminder: build your system around your best players, not the other way around. If Xabi Alonso Real Madrid era begins in 2024, the former midfield metronome must calibrate work-rate demands carefully, preserving Mbappé’s and Vinícius’s legs for the decisive seconds that separate trophies from near-misses.

Opinion

In my view, Del Bosque’s warning is spot-on. Modern analytics may celebrate pressing numbers, but Real Madrid’s identity has always centred on moments of individual brilliance. Prioritising structure over spontaneity would betray the club’s DNA. The key will be intelligent rest-defence, not exhaustive chores for the forwards. Give Mbappé and Vinícius the ball in the final third and let the Bernabéu do the rest.