Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso says he is focused on “starting from scratch” next season after his side were handed a humbling 4-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Alonso, who took charge in late May following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, admitted his young team were no match for a well-drilled PSG side that raced into a two-goal lead inside nine minutes at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday.
“PSG are a team who have been built over time, whereas we are practically just beginning,” Alonso said after the match. “We have lots of room for improvement. There are many things that we want to do better.”
PSG added a third before half-time and a fourth late on to seal a dominant win and book a final clash with Chelsea. Alonso acknowledged the defeat as a valuable lesson.
“We have to be self-critical. This will tell us things for the future that will help us to compete at a much better level than we did today,” he added.
Real Madrid entered the tournament having finished second to Barcelona in La Liga and the Copa del Rey last season, while also bowing out of the UEFA Champions League in the quarter-finals to Arsenal. The Club World Cup marked Alonso’s first competitive test since taking over, and he expressed a desire to have had more time to prepare.
“This game is the last match of this season, not the start of the next one,” he noted. “We come away from here a better team and I am convinced this will help us start next season better.”
Despite the loss, there were a few positives for Los Blancos. Young striker Gonzalo Garcia impressed with four goals earlier in the tournament, and new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen gained valuable match experience. Alonso also experimented with different formations throughout the campaign.
The game also marked the end of an era as veteran midfielder Luka Modric, 39, made his final appearance for the club. He is expected to join AC Milan, ending a glittering 13-year stint in Madrid.
With less than six weeks before the start of the new La Liga season on August 19—where Real open against Osasuna—Alonso has limited time to implement his philosophy. The club’s request to postpone the fixture has so far been rejected.
However, help is on the way. Argentine teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono, 17, will join the squad in the summer from River Plate in a €63 million deal.
“In August the 2025/26 season begins,” Alonso said. “Things are going to be different. We are starting from scratch.”
