Xabi Alonso speaks out amid Real Madrid sack speculation

Xabi Alonso insisted his sole focus is on Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday amid speculation over his future.

The former Bayer Leverkusen boss only moved to the Bernabeu in the summer but is reported to be under serious pressure following Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Celta Vigo.

That left Real four points behind Barcelona in the La Liga table, with Alonso's team having won only two of their last seven matches in all competitions.

Real's woes against Celta were compounded by red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras, and Alonso told a press conference: "When you coach Real Madrid, you have to be prepared for these situations.

"After the Celta game, we've already drawn our conclusions and the only thing on our minds is City.

"It's the Champions League, we're playing at the Bernabeu and I'm sure the atmosphere will be special and different because of the energy that's created. That's what's on our minds right now.

"This is a team and we're all in this together. When you're the Real Madrid coach, you have to be prepared to enjoy these situations calmly and responsibly.

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"I'm really looking forward to everything that's coming, which starts tomorrow. In football, things can change quickly, and we're in that moment now."

Real lost their 100 per cent record in the Champions League last month when they were beaten by Alonso's former side Liverpool.

They remain in a good position to quality automatically for the knockout stages but another defeat would put that in jeopardy, with City among those looking to force their way into the top eight.

"It's a big match," said Alonso. "It's a good opportunity for us to continue progressing with more points in the Champions League.

"The players already know what kind of match we're going to have and we hope to play a good game.

"We are mentally prepared to face everything that lies ahead. The team is united and convinced that we can win tomorrow. To do so, we have to play a good game, with good rhythm and high intensity."

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Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni echoed Alonso's comments regarding the camp being united, saying: "We're all in this together. If we want to win games, we all have to pull in the same direction.

"We're on the pitch and we have to do things better. Tomorrow we have a good opportunity to change the momentum and get more points in the Champions League."

PA