Kylian Mbappe sends Xabi Alonso message after Real Madrid firing amid Liverpool return links

Kylian Mbappe has sent a heartfelt farewell message to former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso after the Spaniard left Real Madrid by mutual consent following intense pressure

Xabi Alonso and Kylian Mbappe(Image: (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) )

Kylian Mbappe swiftly sent a farewell message to former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso following his mutual agreement to leave Real Madrid.

Alonso had been facing mounting pressure towards the end of last year, and the Spanish heavyweights announced their decision less than 24 hours after their Spanish Super Cup loss to fierce rivals Barcelona in Saudi Arabia.

Real are trailing their arch-rivals Barca by four points and have also suffered defeats to both Liverpool and Manchester City in the Champions League this season. Mbappe was the first player to pay tribute to his former manager just a few hours after the news broke.

Sharing an image of the two in a warm embrace, Mbappe penned: "It's been short but it was a pleasure to play for you and learn from you. Thank you for giving me the confidence since Day 1.

"I will remember you as a manager who had clear ideas and knows many things about football. Best of luck for your next chapter."

Alonso's stint at the Santiago Bernabeu has been plagued by conflicts with several key players, including Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Endrick.

He was also caught up in an awkward moment with Mbappe following the defeat to Bara on Sunday night when the forward seemed to undermine the 44 year old.

Alonso appeared to instruct his players to give Barcelona a guard of honour during their trophy presentation, but no Madrid player followed suit, and Mbappe appeared to dismiss the Spaniard's request.

The BBC has also reported that Alonso had a tactical disagreement with Mbappe prior to Sunday's final, and he also clashed with president Florentino Perez on Monday before the decision to part ways was made later in the day.

Kylian Mbappe shakes hands with Xabi Alonso - who is now being linked with a return to Liverpool(Image: (PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images) )

Alonso's position has been filled by former Liverpool colleague Alvaro Arbeloa, who joined Real as a youth team coach in 2020 and took over their second team, Castilla, in June of the following year.

In a statement confirming the changes, Real said: " Real Madrid CF announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to end his time as coach of the first team.

"Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all madridismo because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home.

"Our club thanks Xabi Alonso and his entire technical team for their work and dedication throughout this time, and wishes them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives."

A separate statement announced: "Real Madrid C. F. would like to announce that Álvaro Arbeloa will be the new first team coach.

"Álvaro Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025, and has spent his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's youth academy since 2020. He coached the Under-14s A in the 2020-2021 season, winning the league title, the Under-16s in the 2021-2022 season and the Under-19s from 2022 to 2025. As coach of the Under-19s, he won the treble in the 2022-2023 season (League, Copa del Rey and Champions Cup) and the League in the 2024-2025 season.

"As a player, Álvaro Arbeloa was part of Real Madrid in one of the most successful periods of its history. He defended our shirt between 2009 and 2016, in 238 official matches. During that time he won 8 trophies: 2 European Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Uefa Super Cup, 1 LaLiga title, 2 Copa del Rey trophies and 1 Spanish Super Cup.

"With the Spanish national team, Álvaro Arbeloa was also part of a historic era, in which he won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and 2 European Championships (2008 and 2012). He was capped 56 times."