Real Madrid secures a backup coach in advance, with Alvero ready to replace Alonso at any moment?

Written by Han Bing While Real Madrid head coach Alonso is still on holiday, he has been hit with potentially the worst news. ESPN reveals that even though Alonso led the team to a three-match winning streak before the winter break, the club’s leadership still considers the Spanish Super Cup as Alonso’s first “ultimate challenge” for his coaching role. Inside Real Madrid, discussions about Alonso’s successor have already taken place, with Alvero, the B team coach, being the most probable choice. The club believes that it is difficult to find a top coach mid-season, so like when Zidane was appointed temporarily from the B team, Alvero could serve as an emergency solution. By preparing this “double insurance” for the head coach position early, Real Madrid aims to minimize the disruption a potential coaching change might cause to the team.

Alvero, who retired in the summer of 2017, began his coaching journey with Real Madrid’s U14 squad after 2020. In the summer of 2022, he took charge of Real Madrid’s Juvenil A team. During the 2022/23 season, he led the team to win the Spanish Youth League, Youth King’s Cup, and Youth Champions Cup, achieving a treble, and also reached the quarterfinals of the Youth Champions League. This marked the first time Real Madrid Juvenil A accomplished a clean sweep of Spanish youth competitions in a single season. In the 2024/25 season, he again guided the team to the Spanish Youth League title. After Raúl, who coached Real Madrid B for six seasons, left this summer to pursue an independent coaching career, the club’s management unanimously agreed that Alvero is the ideal replacement for Raúl, just as they currently consider him the best candidate to succeed Alonso.

Alonso’s coaching crisis began as early as early November, following a Champions League away loss to Liverpool. Real Madrid dropped to second place in La Liga after a run of five games with only one win. After a shocking 0-2 home defeat to Celta in early December, the club’s board finally recognized the seriousness of the situation. At that point, Real Madrid held an emergency meeting to assess Alonso’s future as coach. Although they decided to continue monitoring, the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on January 8 will be Alonso’s first ultimate test. Even if Alonso wins the trophy, any slip-ups in the upcoming Champions League or La Liga matches could lead to his dismissal at any time.

Alvero, who will turn 43 in mid-January, has an in-depth understanding of Real Madrid’s club culture and operational system. Having been involved as both player and coach, he is very familiar with the club environment, especially Florentino Pérez’s high-pressure atmosphere. Since Florentino’s second term, mid-season coaching changes have been rare, with the previous two instances resulting in Zidane’s appointment. Solari was promoted from Juvenil A coach to Real Madrid B coach before replacing Lopetegui in October 2018. However, Solari lacked Alvero’s extensive Real Madrid experience and performed poorly as a caretaker, forcing Florentino to call Zidane back for a second time.

In contrast, Alvero has not only achieved excellent results coaching Juvenil A but is also doing reasonably well this season with Real Madrid B, currently ranked 4th in Group A of the Primera Federación. He is also recognized for his talent development skills. Recent promotions to the first team, such as defender Raúl Asensio and forward Gonzalo García, have benefited from his careful nurturing. Most importantly, Alvero can help Real Madrid save time and financial resources that would otherwise be spent searching for a new coach.

For Alonso, the outcome of the first two matches in 2026 will likely determine his fate at Real Madrid. On January 4, the La Liga home game against Real Betis requires him to maintain or reduce the points gap with Barcelona. Then on January 8, in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal Madrid Derby, Alonso faces Simeone, who has coached Atlético Madrid for 14 years. The 2-5 away defeat in the Madrid Derby at the end of September marked the beginning of Alonso’s deteriorating situation at Real Madrid, as it was the first time since 1950 that Atlético scored five goals against them in a single match.

Alonso’s Real Madrid is currently facing an injury crisis and overly depends on Mbappé in attack. Conversely, Atlético Madrid in 2025 boasts the strongest offense under Simeone, with 112 goals scored — the highest annual tally during Simeone’s tenure. Club president Florentino Pérez continues to publicly express support for Alonso, but this backing is contingent on meeting performance expectations. Alonso’s margin for error is very slim; the Spanish Super Cup is the first hurdle, followed by the Champions League knockout stage. Even how he manages his relationship with Vinícius could influence his future. Meanwhile, Alvero’s presence gives the club’s leadership peace of mind regarding any potential coaching change.