GettyTrouble ahead for Real Madrid? Los Blancos dressing room split in opinion on Xabi Alonso as Girona draw cranks up pressure
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Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
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Over 28 monthsSave 73%
Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
Pro
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 14 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is included with the Express Pro plan.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.
Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.
Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
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GettyWho is to blame? Finger pointing at the Bernabeu
Alonso has, however, found himself under scrutiny for some time. It was revealed back in October that his “personal approach and some of his footballing concepts had not gone down well with a significant number of the first team” in Madrid.
It is claimed that a meeting has taken place at the Bernabeu which saw Alonso and his players attempt to get to the bottom of any supposed issues. First-team stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga have attempted to quash talk of their being rifts in the Real camp.
The Athletic claims that there is “currently a mix of players who remain unconvinced about Alonso’s methods and others who argue that the manager is not to blame”. Someone that falls into the latter of those two camps has said: “This is not the coach’s problem, it’s very obvious.”
Another source at the Bernabeu has said: “The problem is not Xabi. Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and (Jude) Bellingham are incompatible; you can’t have a balanced team with those three.” It is said that Alonso’s messages are “not getting through to the players”, leading to disjointed displays.
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GettyRight man for the job? Alonso must prove his worth
That does not bode well for Alonso, who has only taken in 25 games at the helm - winning 18 of those matches and coming unstuck in only three. He was brought back to Madrid after impressing as a coach in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, whom he led to an unbeaten Bundesliga title triumph in 2023-24.
Some prominent figures there questioned his approach on the back of a return to Spain, with success not enough to keep everybody happy. Similar discussions are now taking place at the Bernabeu.
Alonso still has plenty of time in which to get things right this season - having already overseen a win over Barcelona - and has enough talent at his disposal in order to deliver major silverware. Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius and Co must, however, buy into his vision in order for collective triumphs to be enjoyed.
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