Brahim bids farewell to Xabi Alonso as Africa Cup of Nations duty calls
The Madrid attacker adds his name to the list of players saying goodbye to departing manager Xabi Alonso, though his focus remains on Morocco's AFCON semi-final.
Brahim Díaz has finally joined the farewell party for Xabi Alonso, though he’s been a bit preoccupied with more pressing matters on the international stage.
Better late than never
The talented Madrid attacker took to social media to wish his now-former gaffer well, posting a simple but heartfelt message: “Mucha suerte en el futuro, míster” (Good luck in the future, boss).
Brahim’s goodbye comes noticeably later than most of his teammates, but there’s a proper reason for the delay. The lad’s got the small matter of a historic Africa Cup of Nations semi-final with Morocco against Nigeria tomorrow. Can’t blame him for keeping his head down and focused on what could be a massive moment for his national side.
Who’s said what?
The farewell messages have been trickling in since Xabi’s departure was announced, though not everyone in the Madrid camp has taken to their phones. From the current squad, only Vinicius, Militao, Trent, Mendy, Bellingham and young Mastantuono have publicly said their goodbyes.
Endrick, currently on loan at Lyon, hasn’t posted anything either - though he’s got a decent excuse since he wasn’t under Xabi’s management at the time of the departure.
Limited minutes but no hard feelings
Despite having a decent relationship with Alonso, Brahim found himself mostly warming the bench during the Basque manager’s tenure. The Malaga-born forward barely got a look-in when it came to the starting XI.
Still, there appears to be no bad blood between them, with Brahim taking time out from his international duties to wish his former boss well. That’s proper class from a player who could’ve had the right hump about his limited playing time.
With Morocco preparing for what could be a historic match in the AFCON, Brahim’s focus has now fully shifted to international glory. If they advance past Nigeria, they’ll be just one game away from lifting the trophy - certainly more important than social media pleasantries at the moment.