VIDEO SHOWS: PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS FROM REAL MADRID HEAD COACH XABI ALONSO AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH AWAY TO OLYMPIACOS FOR REAL MADRID TRAINING SEE EDIT 4777-SOCCER-CHAMPIONS-OLY-RMA/PREVIEW SHOWS: PIRAEUS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 25, 2025) (UEFA – See restrictions) 1. REAL MADRID HEAD COACH XABI ALONSO ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID HEAD COACH, XABI ALONSO, SAYING: "We need to get a result after going three matches without tasting victory. To do that, we need to play well and be focused, in the knowledge that it’s an important match in terms of qualifying (for the knockout stage). Even thought we’re on nine points, we want to add to that, and so we need a different result from the Liverpool match and the two matches after that in the league." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID HEAD COACH, XABI ALONSO, ON MANAGING BIG PERSONALITIES, SAYING: "I’ve spent a lot of time with great footballers, with great personalities who are demanding, very professional and always want the best. They tend to have these reactions but that’s normal. It helps them be as good as they are, and that’s why it’s fortunate to be at Real Madrid, you have players of that quality, and then it’s about connecting with them." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID HEAD COACH, XABI ALONSO, ON TALKS OF A DRESSING ROOM FALLOUT WITH VINICIUS JUNIOR, SAYING: "I don’t want to and I’m not going to talk about that, because I know what being in the locker room is like. I know the moments you have to go through, and you have to put up with the outside noise. We try to speak about that and manage it because they’re the sort of situations that arise at this club and we can’t let it make us lose focus on what is actually important for us." 8. WHITE FLASH 9. ALONSO LEAVING STORY: Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso played down talk of growing tension between himself and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior ahead of Los Blancos' Champions League clash away to Olympiacos. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (November 25), Alonso declined to comment on any locker room fallouts but acknowledged that managing such media speculation is part and parcel of being at a club like Real. "You have to put up with the outside noise," said Alonso, adding "They’re the sort of situations that arise at this club and we can’t let it make us lose focus on what is actually important." Despite still sitting top of LaLiga, one point ahead of bitter rivals Barcelona, the 44-year-old first-year head coach has faced growing scrutiny after failing to win any of his last three matches. Real followed up their first Champions League loss of the season away to Liverpool with disappointing draws against lowly Rayo Vallecano and Elche, with Vinicius benched until the second half for the latter match. But Alonso insisted he's no stranger to dealing with frustrated superstars, "I’ve spent a lot of time with great footballers who are demanding and always want the best," Alonso explained. "They tend to have these reactions but that’s normal. It helps them be as good as they are." With nine points from their first four Champions League games, Real remain on course to qualify automatically for the knockout stages but trail leaders Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan by three points. (Production: Conal Quinn)
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