Karim Benzema has defended Xabi Alonso, saying Real Madrid’s struggles come from poor player connection and ego issues, not the coach. He urged Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo to recognise their roles and play for the team.
Karim Benzema has come out in support of Real Madrid manager
Xabi Alonso, saying the coach is not responsible for the club’s poor form this season. Madrid are under pressure after back-to-back home defeats and a 2-1 Champions League loss to Manchester City. However, Benzema believes the issues lie within the squad, and not the dugout.
Speaking to L’Equipe, the former Madrid captain said Alonso is doing all he can with the talent available. According to Benzema, the real problem is that the players like Kylian Mbappe,
Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo are not connecting with each other on the field. “No, the coach can’t do anything. He has big names….,” he said. “What they’re lacking is simply a connection.”
Benzema explained, “Between [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius [Junior], [Jude] Bellingham, and Rodrygo. Each one needs to know what to do on the pitch. Bellingham needs to understand that he’s the attacking midfielder, not the goalscorer. Mbappe is the goalscorer, not the attacking midfielder. Vinicius isn’t a defensive midfielder; he’s a left winger.”
“As long as they all know what to do on the pitch, that’s it. Because we’re talking about players who are among the 10 best in the world, and they’re all on the same team,” he added.
The French striker, who won multiple trophies during 14 years at the Bernabeu, admitted that managing egos in a star-filled dressing room is always complicated. “It’s difficult because everyone has their own personality and characteristics,” he said. “They all want to be the best, so it’s a bit complicated… Everyone needs to understand that, in their role, they can contribute, but that it’s for the good of the team.”
Benzema slams players’ mentality
Benzema also criticised the modern mentality of some players, saying many focus only on individual stats rather than the team. He believes Real Madrid lack an experienced figure who can speak openly to younger stars like Bellingham, Mbappe or Vinicius when something is wrong.
“There isn’t a more experienced player who can tell Bellingham, Mbappe, or Vinicius that they’re doing something wrong. So it’s complicated. The coach, in my opinion, says it, but in a different way… Frankly, it’s very complicated. The players don’t talk to each other anymore. And it shows, actually. It’s ‘I did my job, I scored my goals.’ That’s football these days. If your teammate is better than you, you have to accept it,” he said.
“The problem is not accepting that the player ahead of you scores more goals. That’s why you have problems when you have five or six great players together. They all contribute something. And, in the end, the top scorer always gets a little more attention than the others. But he always needs the others! You can’t do it all alone,” he concluded.
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