Former Real Madrid hero Joselu believes the lack of a true No. 9 in Xabi Alonso’s XI is the reason behind the club’s recent struggles.
Success seemed inevitable for Los Blancos ahead of the 2024–25 season. One month after the Spanish giants topped the Champions League and La Liga, they signed one of the best goalscorers in the world in Kylian Mbappé.
Yet Real Madrid ended the season without a major trophy, and have scarcely looked capable of claiming one in 2025–26. Most of the blame falls on insurmountable injury crises, but Joselu highlighted another element plaguing the team, both in Carlo Ancelotti’s final campaign and under the new leadership of Alonso.
“A nine is missing, right?” the striker told AS. “The thing is, Real Madrid is Real Madrid. Mbappé scores 50 goals a season and you can’t change him. That’s why the typical [No.] 9 is lost. It’s a shame, because [it] can unlock many matches.
“They’ve brought in Mbappé, the best striker in the world in terms of goals, Vini Jr. is a global icon, Rodrygo is getting back to his best, Bellingham, Fede. You see the names on the table and you say, it’s impossible for anyone to beat them.”
Yet there is no player who can “pin back the center backs” and create space for the likes of Bellingham to crash the box and score. Instead, Mbappé routinely finds himself waiting at the edge of the box for service, leaving no goalscorer inside the penalty area to get on the end of searching balls from either flank.
Joselu Calls Out Alonso’s Squad for Lacking ‘Edge’
Along with Real Madrid’s lack of presence inside the 18-yard box, Joselu also attributed the club’s floundering form to a seemingly wilting mentality inside the dressing room.
“At Real Madrid, perhaps there’s a lack of that competitive edge, that feeling,” the 35-year-old said.“[In 2023–24], about 80% of the players truly felt what it means to wear the Real Madrid shirt. Today, I don’t know if that feeling has been lost or not.”
The 15-time European champions have come under fire for falling flat in big games over the last year and a half. Last season, Los Blancos were lifeless against Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals and showed little fight in their four Clásico defeats.
The spirit of the team has seldom improved under Alonso. The players were brutally criticized for their lack of passion in their 5–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid and got absolutely nothing going against Liverpool.
“When you play with the genuine feeling of being a true Real Madrid fan, you get something extra. When you’re missing something, you have to have that feeling.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Missing’—Carlo Ancelotti Favorite Reveals Key Issue Damning Real Madrid.