Chaos Reigns Supreme | Football Digest

European football's January madness has well and truly arrived. Within 48 hours, Real Madrid parted ways with one of modern football's most celebrated young coaches, Manchester United turned to a familiar face, and two AFCON semi-finals tonight will capture African football's imagination. Meanwhile, a London derby awaits at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Arsenal in the Carabao Cup. Buckle up — it's a lot.

📊 MIDWEEK STAT

232 days

That's how long Xabi Alonso lasted as Real Madrid head coach — the 10th manager sacked during Florentino Pérez's tenure. Despite a 70.6% win rate (24 wins from 34 games), Alonso becomes the shortest-serving permanent manager at the Bernabéu since the turn of the century. — Al Jazeera

The Bernabéu's revolving door spins again. Xabi Alonso's "mutual consent" departure came less than 24 hours after Sunday's 3-2 Supercopa defeat to Barcelona — the final straw in a tenure marked by dressing room unrest and a fractured relationship with Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman was reportedly captured urging teammates to defy Alonso's instruction to form a guard of honour for Barcelona. Despite winning 10 of his first 11 La Liga games, Alonso struggled to implement the possession-based philosophy that made him a revelation at Bayer Leverkusen. The club's Champions League position remains solid — seventh with two games to play — but Pérez moved decisively. Castilla coach Álvaro Arbeloa steps up, though Zinedine Zidane, Antonio Conte and Enzo Maresca are already linked with the summer vacancy. Jürgen Klopp is reportedly on the club's wishlist too, as reported by The National and Fichajes.

Michael Carrick is back at Old Trafford, appointed until the end of the season after beating Ole Gunnar Solskjær to the interim role. The 44-year-old inherits a team in crisis: seventh in the table, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, and out of both domestic cups after Brighton's FA Cup humiliation. His first assignment? Saturday's Manchester derby. Carrick brings Steve Holland (Gareth Southgate's former England assistant) and Jonathan Woodgate to his backroom staff, with former teammate Jonny Evans also involved. The club emphasised his understanding of "what it takes to succeed here" — a 464-game playing career yielded five Premier League titles and a Champions League. But United is a very different beast now, and the margin for error has evaporated, as confirmed by Manchester United.

Tonight's twin semi-finals promise box-office football. Senegal face Egypt in Tangier (5pm UK) in a rematch of the 2021 final — Sadio Mané against Mohamed Salah, two former Liverpool teammates with contrasting tournament fortunes. Egypt arrive as the form team after dismantling defending champions Ivory Coast 3-2. Then Morocco host Nigeria in Rabat (8pm UK) in what many consider a premature final. The hosts haven't conceded from open play; Nigeria have won all five games, scoring 14 goals with Victor Osimhen chasing the Golden Boot. A new AFCON champion is guaranteed after Ivory Coast's elimination. Both fixtures are live on E4 in the UK, as reported by ESPN.

Mikel Arteta faces anxious hours ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge. William Saliba and Leandro Trossard are both doubts, while Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori remain sidelined. That's potentially four defenders unavailable for a London derby. Arteta was coy: "Those two are a doubt." Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly may shoulder the burden, with Christian Nørgaard deputising at centre-back again if required, as reported by Sky Sports.

A silver lining in Roma's Coppa Italia exit: Antonio Arena, a Sydney-born 16-year-old, scored with his very first touch in senior football. The header equalised against Torino before Emirhan Ilkhan's 90th-minute winner eliminated the Giallorossi 3-2. Arena — who already holds the record as Pescara's youngest ever goalscorer, beating Marco Verratti — has sparked an international tug-of-war between Australia and Italy. Dream debut, nightmare result, as reported by Football Italia.

Despite Michael Carrick's arrival, Manchester United have no plans to recall Marcus Rashford from his Barcelona loan. The 28-year-old forward has found form in Catalonia and United's hierarchy believe a fresh start elsewhere remains best for all parties. Meanwhile, young striker Ethan Wheatley, 19, heads to Bradford City on loan for the remainder of the season, as reported by Talksport and Manchester Evening News.

Newcastle 0-2 Man City played Tuesday

City's Guéhi push intensifies. Manchester City are preparing a formal offer for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi before the window closes, though they're unlikely to meet Palace's £35m-plus asking price. It's a gamble: Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has been making calls in recent days to convince Guéhi to wait until summer and join the Bavarians on a free. Liverpool and Arsenal also lurk in the background for a July move. Palace boss Oliver Glasner insists his captain will stay — but at what price?

Elsewhere: Nottingham Forest have enquired about Bournemouth winger Marcus Tavernier, 26, but the Cherries aren't selling. Tottenham are blocking all loan interest in Mathys Tel despite Paris FC's approach. Newcastle are weighing defensive reinforcements after Tino Livramento's eight-week hamstring injury. And Liverpool won't offload Joe Gomez this month following Conor Bradley's season-ending knee injury — cover is suddenly at a premium.

Staying put: Arsenal have no intention of selling Ben White despite his reduced game-time and interest from Everton and Manchester City, as reported by Teamtalk.

Xabi Alonso's exit raises uncomfortable questions about Real Madrid's decision-making structure. This is now the 10th managerial departure under Florentino Pérez's current presidency — yet the pattern repeats: big name arrives, internal tensions emerge, board moves decisively.

The reported rift with Mbappé echoes past conflicts. Alonso allegedly "lost the dressing room" early in his tenure, with Vinícius Júnior publicly criticising substitution decisions and rumours of player unrest circulating for weeks. But the response was familiar: promote from within (Arbeloa), stabilise temporarily, then pursue a marquee appointment in summer.

Names already circulating include Zinedine Zidane — the ultimate safe pair of hands — Enzo Maresca (recently departed Chelsea), Antonio Conte, and even Jürgen Klopp, though Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff has dismissed that speculation. Andoni Iraola's name has surfaced too, a testament to Bournemouth's overachievement under his guidance.

The deeper issue: modern Madrid expects immediate perfection. Alonso's 70.6% win rate would satisfy most clubs. At the Bernabéu, second place is failure — even with four points separating them from Barcelona and a solid Champions League position. Until that culture shifts, the carousel keeps spinning, as analysed by Football España.

La Liga: Arbeloa takes charge immediately as Madrid face Albacete in Copa del Rey tonight. All eyes on team selection and whether he can bridge the dressing room divide Alonso couldn't. Marca

Serie A: Roma crash out of Coppa Italia despite teenage sensation Arena's debut goal. Gian Piero Gasperini's side lose 3-2 to Torino; Che Adams bags a brace. Gazzetta dello Sport

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich watching Marc Guéhi situation closely. Sporting director Max Eberl making calls; the defender could sign a pre-contract with the Bavarians now. RB Leipzig seal £4.5m deal for Nigerian wonderkid Suleiman Sani, beating City, Brentford and Spurs. Kicker

Ligue 1: PSG's shock Coupe de France exit to Paris FC still reverberating. Lower-league neighbours stunned the champions in one of the season's biggest upsets. L'Équipe

FA Cup: Fourth round draw throws up tasty ties. Liverpool host Brighton (the team that knocked United out), Macclesfield get Brentford at home, Villa face Newcastle. The FA

Premier League: City prepare for Saturday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford — Carrick's first game in charge. Seventeen points separate seventh-placed United from the title race. Newcastle weighing defensive options after Livramento's eight-week absence. Sky Sports

Women's Football: Lyon and Barcelona continue UWCL dominance; Man City 6 point clear of Chelsea's in WSL. The Athletic

Transfers: Liverpool keeping Joe Gomez after Bradley's season-ending injury. Arsenal refusing to sell Ben White despite interest from Everton and City. Forest testing Bournemouth's resolve for Tavernier. Football Insider

Saturday's Manchester derby dominates: Carrick's first game against Guardiola's relentless machine. Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday in a top-of-the-table test, while the FA Cup fourth round draw has served up Liverpool vs Brighton and Aston Villa vs Newcastle. Friday's edition will have full tactical previews.

That's a wrap. The carousel never stops spinning in European football — one coach out at Madrid, another in at United, and AFCON's semi-finals promise fireworks tonight. Enjoy the chaos.

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