Madrid, January 12 (NA) -- Argentine striker Franco Mastantuono is facing uncertainty at Real Madrid following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso as head coach after Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. According to the Argentine News Agency (NA), the Spanish club announced on Monday the departure of the former Bayer Leverkusen coach, stating it was "by mutual agreement." "Xabi Alonso will always have the affection and admiration of all Madridismo because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home," the institution from the Spanish capital expressed. The 18-year-old forward arrived at the merengue club in mid-2025 from River Plate for 50 million euros -- the buyout clause amount -- and the former midfielder was the one who most encouraged the investment in the player born in Azul. However, the termination of Alonso's contract with Real Madrid could be a setback for Mastantuono's aspirations to stay at the club, the most successful Champions League winner with 15 titles, and could lead him to leave in search of playing time. In recent weeks, rumors of a possible loan for the player from the millionaire club had been circulating and were quite strong, but the former coach of the white team was quick to dispel them, making it clear that the Argentine player was in his considerations and a fundamental piece. Now, Alonso will no longer continue in charge of the capital's team, Álvaro Arbeloa will take his place for the time being, and Mastantuono's future is an unknown as he may not be to the liking of the next coach. The 3-2 defeat of Real Madrid to Barcelona on Sunday in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, brought an end to the young coach's cycle at the "White House," despite the fact that they were still alive in all competitions: second in La Liga, 4 points behind the Catalan side, in the Copa del Rey round of 16, and practically qualified for the next stage of the Champions League. There, Mastantuono entered with 15 minutes left in the match and his performance went unnoticed. However, the 2007-born player is one of the most pointed out by Real Madrid fans given that his performance was from high to low. After 9 starts in 14 games, in which he scored just one goal, the young forward lost ground in the starting eleven and then suffered a tough injury, a pubalgia, that sidelined him for several weeks.
