Kylian Mbappe was the first Real Madrid player to pay tribute to former boss Xabi Alonso after his sacking on Monday.
The 44-year-old was dismissed from his role less than 24 hours after Real were beaten 3-2 by arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Alonso had come under increasing pressure in recent weeks amid rumours of a rift with his players and some up-and-down results which left Los Blancos four points behind Barca at the top of LaLiga.
Alonso’s departure was announced to be ‘by mutual agreement’, with his former Liverpool and Real team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, who was coaching the club’s reserve side, taking over.
And, shortly after the news broke, Mbappe took to his Instagram page to break his silence.
Sharing a photo of the pair embracing at what appeared to be the Bernabeu, Mbappe added: ‘It’s been short but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day 1.
‘I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter.’
Mbappe’s glowing words are perhaps no surprise given the forward has shone under Alonso, scoring 29 goals and adding five assists in just 25 games this season.
However, it did come after he appeared to undermine his manager’s authority in the aftermath of the Super Cup defeat.
In a clip circulating on social media, Alonso was seen urging Mbappe and his players to come over and give Barcelona a guard of honour following their triumph.
However, Mbappe took issue with this and was seen throwing his hands up in the air before he walked off, with Alonso seemingly admitting defeat as he headed towards the direction of his star man, who had been held responsible for Real failing to honour their opponents.
Many felt this was the latest incident to sum up the former Bayer Leverkusen’s boss’ reign, after facing continued challenges to his authority from his own players.
This came most notably from Vinicius Jnr, who reportedly told Real president Florentino Perez earlier this season that he wouldn’t renew his contract while Alonso remained in charge.
BBC Sport also reported on Monday that Alonso and Mbappe had argued about tactics ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Alonso only joined the Spanish giants eight months ago after a hugely successful spell in charge of Leverkusen, where he won the club their first ever Bundesliga title.
Having left at the end of last season, Alonso took over in the Spanish capital in time for the Club World Cup, a tournament which Madrid were knocked out of at the semi-final stage.
He won 13 of his first 14 domestic games in charge, but a Champions League defeat by Liverpool in early November proved to be a turning point, with Madrid then going on a dismal run of just two wins in eight games which heaped pressure on Alonso.
Rumours of division at Madrid’s training complex didn’t help the club legend either, with Spanish papers reporting that up to five players were thought to have been unhappy with his methods.
It was understood that Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jnr all had concerns about Alonso’s tactics, specifically his insistence on playing out from the back.
Vinicius in particular appeared less than pleased under the Alonso regime and, after being substituted in El Clasico in late October, was far from shy in venting his frustrations.
The Brazilian later issued a public apology to his ‘team-mates, the club and its president’, with Alonso’s name conspicuous by its absence.
Fede Valverde, the club’s captain, was too rumoured to have doubted Alonso’s methods and even had to debunk speculation that he refused to play during a Champions League game against Kairat Almaty in October.
It came after Alonso deployed the Uruguayan as a full-back in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, with Valverde defiantly claiming ‘I wasn’t born to play right-back’ before the European clash.
Alonso did however bring about an admittedly brief change in fortunes over the festive period, with Los Blancos winning five games in a row in all competitions.
But the upturn in form was not sufficient enough to convince the hierarchy at the Bernabeu to stick with their manager, who will no-doubt be linked with a return to the Premier League in the coming months.
A statement announcing Alonso’s departure had read: ‘Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as first-team coach.
‘Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madrid fans because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.
‘Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication during this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.’
Another statement a few minutes later added: ‘Real Madrid CF announces that Alvaro Arbeloa is the new first-team coach.’
