Quique Sánchez Flores spoke to El Partidazo de COPE to analyze Real Madrid’s difficult situation, and he did so without holding back. The Madrid-born coach admitted that Xabi Alonso’s dismissal did not surprise him at all and was highly critical of Vinicius, stating that the Brazilian “doesn’t represent the values of Real Madrid.”

Regarding Alonso’s departure, Sánchez Flores said: “Xabi’s dismissal didn’t surprise me; I think it was the best thing for him. These announced deaths are very tragic, very painful, very unfair… and what you want for a colleague is that, if it has to happen, it happens as soon as possible.” He added that Alonso showed the signs of a worn-out coach, explaining that “his demeanor was that of a coach who was exhausted.”

Defending the former manager, he was clear that the responsibility did not lie with Alonso if his ideas were not reflected on the pitch. “If Xabi Alonso works on things and they’re not implemented during the match, the problem isn’t Xabi Alonso,” he said, before adding that the players had already shown last season that “they didn’t want a top-level coach.” He also rejected the idea that Alonso failed to give clear instructions, stressing that it is absurd to think he wouldn’t tell players where to position themselves or how to defend.

Sánchez Flores also questioned Real Madrid’s tactical setup this season. “It’s inconceivable that they’ve played without attacking midfielders for five months,” he said, describing a team with two largely non-creative central midfielders trying to connect with Mbappé and Vinicius as “a tremendous short circuit.”

His harshest words were reserved for Vinicius. “I agree with the part of the fanbase that’s very upset with Vinicius,” he said. “I think he hasn’t represented the values of Real Madrid in the last two years and he’s very far from the player he can become.” He also referred to Vinicius’ substitution in El Clásico, arguing that Alonso should have acted more decisively afterward: “The club had the option of choosing the coach or the player… and they chose the player.”

When speaking about the squad’s mentality, he pointed to Jude Bellingham as a different profile but warned about the wider impact of certain behaviors. “These footballers need to awaken their mental side more,” he said, adding that “when someone emerges, it’s not just him, it’s him and ‘his buddies’ who emerge.”

On Álvaro Arbeloa and the defeat against Albacete, Sánchez Flores downplayed the coach’s influence on the outcome. “The Albacete game was a players’ game,” he stated, acknowledging Arbeloa’s responsibility for the lineup but insisting he was “a bystander in what happened.” He questioned whether Arbeloa’s current approach matches what he showed during the Club World Cup.

He closed with a sharp reflection on the idea that players want to “play differently,” calling it deeply disrespectful: “To say that the players want to play differently seems like an insult to the profession. They want to play… what?”

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