A lot has been said about the relationship between Real Madrid players and their new manager, Xabi Alonso, especially after the last two matches before the international break where one defeat against Liverpool and one draw against Rayo Vallecano, both without scoring any goals. Rumours that the former Leverkusen manager is cold and distant and frustrates players who feel "punished" with less minutes of playtime (following Vinícius' reaction when he was substituted that tarnished the solid performance during El Clásico) have been circulating for a few weeks now.
Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid goalkeeper, gave an interview to El Partidazo de COPE on Wednesday, and he talked about the differences between Xabi Alonso and their former coach Carlo Ancelotti, but first he said he doesn't feel there's a bad relation with the manager... but admitted some players are "a bit unhappy" for playing less or playing differently.
"I don't feel like there's a bad relationship with the manager. But in the end, there are always people in the locker room who are a little unhappy about not playing as much or about playing differently. But we always talk things through face-to-face in meetings and there's no problem", said the Belgian.
When asked if he, as one of the most veteran players, can "set order" "it's something we haven't needed to do because we're all pulling in the same direction. When I read those reports, I say they're not true; but they're just news that creates a lot of noise."
Courtois on differences between Xabi Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti
When asked if he misses Ancelotti, whom they won two Champions League titles and three LaLiga titles, he said that " to say we miss anything would be disrespectful to Xabi": "They're different things, different environments. Ancelotti is almost like a father figure, verging on grandfather, to some, and he has a certain charisma that's different from Xabi's, who's younger and more modern. They're both very good coaches, each with their own style. I've gained a lot from Carlo and I'll always be grateful to him; but to say we miss anything would be disrespectful to Xabi."
Hopefully for Xabi Alonso, results start improving again after the brief bump with Liverpool and Rayo (two teams with a very solid head to head with Los Blancos) to lay those rumours to rest. Next for Madrid is a visit to Elche Sunday night and a visit to Piraeus, against, Olympiacos, on Wednesday for Champions League.