All eyes will be on Xabi Alonso as he spearheads his first Champions League match in charge of Real Madrid against French side Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight. The pressure is on the new boss to lead the Spanish giants back to European glory after they crashed out of the competition at the hands of Arsenal in last season’s quarterfinals.
Alonso is aware that the match against Olympique de Marseille is very important. It’s the Champions League debut this season and they want to start with 3 points that will give them a lot of confidence. However, Real Madrid won’t arrive at the match as they might expect.
The controversy against Real Sociedad over Huijsen’s unfair sending off is still ongoing. In addition, Real Madrid saw its plans changed on Monday due to LaLiga’s visit. They had to undergo anti-doping control, which delayed training and press conferences by an hour.
Softfootball understands that Alonso has tried to lower the tone of complaints since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu, but has turned up the temperature over the last few days following a controversial red card for Dean Huijsen. The Basque manager was in favour of the club alleging either gross negligence or an agenda against them to FIFA.
Alonso said after the match against Real Sociedad that he was unconvinced by the version of the referee regarding Huijsen’s dismissal. He was caught on camera telling the referee that ‘you’re making me think ill of you’.
According to a post on Fabrizio Romano’s Facebook page, the Los Blancos boss is set for his first Champions League outing tonight against French opposition. However, the Spanish coach still faced questions surrounding refereeing in La Liga. Alonso responded firmly, stressing that Real Madrid must always defend the club’s interests. The post reads:
Xabi Alonso: Real Madrid critiquing referees? The club has to defend it’s interests.
This is the latest measure in Real Madrid’s long-running campaign against officials in Spain, writing an open letter to the RFEF in February demanding a full-scale restructuring of the officiating body. It is not yet clear what action FIFA could or would take on the advice of one club.
Away from that, Los Blancos’ first test in this season’s Champions League comes against an opponent they have a perfect record against: Marseille. Real Madrid have managed four victories in their four meetings with the French outfit, giving them the historic edge over Roberto De Zerbi’s side ahead of tonight’s bout.
Still, over a decade has passed since Real Madrid and Marseille clashed on Europe’s biggest stage, leaving the door open for a new, exiting matchup between the two clubs.
As the two teams prepare to lock horns on the European stage tonight, the clash promises to be a fascinating battle of tactical prowess and skill.
