We Didn’t Get Xabi Fired – Courtois

Thibaut Courtois has firmly denied speculation that a player mutiny led to Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid, insisting the squad remained fully professional despite the coaching change.

Speaking after a dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League—the most impressive result of interim boss Álvaro Arbeloa’s tenure—the Belgian goalkeeper addressed reports that senior players were unhappy with Alonso’s tactics.

Federico Valverde’s first-half hat-trick at the Bernabéu put Madrid in control of the last-16 tie, overshadowing a missed penalty from Vinícius Júnior. The performance came just weeks after Alonso was replaced by reserve coach Arbeloa following a disappointing first half of the season.

However, Courtois was adamant that the players were not to blame for Alonso’s exit.

“Nobody tried to get Xabi fired,” Courtois told reporters after the match. “People were saying we didn’t like the tactics, or the videos… Look, I had a coach like Antonio Conte who had us there for an hour every day, and it didn’t matter. We’re professionals; work comes first.”

The goalkeeper pushed back against the narrative that the squad’s discontent influenced the club’s decision, stressing their commitment to preparation.

“One thing is playing with your friends, but I’m a professional. If I have to watch a half-hour video, I’ll do it,” Courtois added. “People have doubted our professionalism. The first months with Xabi went well, and suddenly we had a dip. That happens in football.”

Despite the morale-boosting win over City, Arbeloa’s tenure has been rocky, featuring a Copa del Rey exit to Albacete and consecutive LaLiga defeats to Osasuna and Getafe that have handed the advantage to Barcelona. Madrid will look to build on their European cushion in next week’s second leg in Manchester.