‘One Step Back’—Xabi Alonso Explains Real Madrid’s Response to Derby Defeat
September 30, 2025
Alonso’s reign at the Santiago Bernabéu is just 14 games old, however, and he urged fans to see the defeat as a learning curve for a young team.
“It’s not just the attitude; I think it was the pace and tactical aspects that we’ve analyzed,” Alonso reflected. “I don’t just explain everything with attitude; that’s simplistic.
“We need to improve things at the game level. We didn’t compete well enough. That’s part of the adaptation process. We’ve been here for about 58 days. It hurt, but now we’re in Champions League mode.
