Egyptian legend Aboutrika on Alonso’s Brave Call: "Performance Decides, Not Names"

Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutrika's weighed in on Xabi Alonso’s bold decisions at Real Madrid stressing that no player should feel guaranteed starting place despite the club’s star studded squad.

Alonso surprised many by leaving Vinicius Junior out of the starting lineup against Real Oviedo in La Liga opting instead for Rodrygo alongside Kylian Mbappe & Franco Mastantono.

No guarantees for stars

Speaking on beIN Sports before the match, Aboutrika pointed out that Alonso'd already warned his squad:

“No player's guaranteed spot. Vinicius didn’t perform well against Osasuna and with Alonso, only performances decide who plays”

Alonso’s message of authority

The Egyptian icon highlighted that Alonso made 4 change from the previous match showing it wasn’t about targeting Vinicius:

"He wants to change the team’s rhythm. Mbappe was the best against Osasuna but even he lost too many balls, just like Vinicius"

Aboutrika concluded by praising Alonso’s strong personality:

“He's authority, doesn’t listen to outside influence and applies one system to all. At Real Madrid, no one is bigger than the club”

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.