Alonso Says ‘No Excuses’ as Real Madrid Prepare for La Liga Opener

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has vowed there will be “no excuses” as his team prepare to launch their La Liga campaign against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday.

Alonso, who officially begins his reign in Madrid’s home dugout after debuting at the Club World Cup in the United States, admitted the team’s shortened pre-season has been far from ideal. The Spanish giants had asked to delay their league opener, but their request was denied by football authorities.

“Obviously, it would have been nice to receive some support with our request, especially for the players’ health… after such a long season and to have a little more preparation time,” Alonso told reporters on Monday. “But anyway, in the end it wasn’t to be and that’s that. We’ve only had two weeks, and there’s no point looking for excuses now.”

Madrid have played just one friendly since their 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on July 9, but Alonso remains focused on turning the page on last season’s frustrations under Carlo Ancelotti.

Despite winning the Champions League and La Liga in 2023-24, Madrid fell short domestically last term, finishing behind arch-rivals Barcelona and bowing out to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals. Alonso has been handed several new signings, including former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, as he looks to stamp his mark on the squad.

The former Bayer Leverkusen boss, who guided the German side to a Bundesliga and Cup double in 2023, refused to make bold promises. “I tend to be more of a doer than a talker. So making promises before taking action in football doesn’t usually work,” he said. “We are working hard, and people are eager; you can feel that. We want to start this new project with new players, a new coach, and bring the energy we have to the stadium—and then earn it, not just talk about it.”

Alonso also threw his weight behind Madrid’s stance against staging a La Liga fixture abroad. The league has proposed moving Villarreal’s clash with Barcelona to Miami in December, a move Los Blancos strongly opposed last week.

“I agree wholeheartedly with the club’s statement,” Alonso said. “I believe that at the start of the competition, we all knew what the rules were, and if the rules are to be changed, it must be unanimously agreed upon by all participants. This is not appropriate at this time.”

Madrid host Osasuna in Tuesday’s curtain-raiser as Alonso begins his first full chapter in charge of the Spanish giants.