🎥 One Rivalry, Two Summers
The 2024–25 season ended with clear roles reversed:
Barcelona swept the trophies. Madrid, the Club World Cup aside, walked away empty-handed.
Now, as the 2025–26 season kicks off on August 17, 2025, both clubs return with new energy and sharpened focus.
Xabi Alonso begins his first full season as Madrid’s head coach.
Hansi Flick, entering year two, is tasked with maintaining momentum in Barcelona.
⚪ Real Madrid: A New Era Under Alonso Begins
Xabi Alonso was officially announced on May 25, and his contract began June 1 — just in time to guide Madrid through the 2025 Club World Cup. This summer marked his first true preseason in charge.
🔄 Transfers In
Dean Huijsen (CB, Bournemouth – ~€59.5M): Composed, physical, and the defensive anchor Madrid has long needed.
Trent Alexander‑Arnold (RWB, €10M early release fee from Liverpool): Versatile and experienced, his arrival gives Alonso tactical width and control.
Álvaro Carreras (LB, Benfica – €43M): Adds pace and positional discipline.
Franco Mastantuono: ❌ This rumored signing was not confirmed and has been omitted.
🚪 Departures
Luka Modrić (retired)
Lucas Vázquez and Jesús Vallejo (contracts not renewed)
🧭 Tactical Vision
Alonso is installing a 3–4–3 with pressing triggers and vertical movement.
Gonzalo García, Madrid’s breakout star at the Club World Cup, is earning a real role this season.
Dean Huijsen is being groomed as the spine of Madrid’s future backline.
Madrid feels younger, hungrier, and less reliant on marquee names to make headlines.
🔵🔴 FC Barcelona: Flick’s Second Season, Stability Over Spectacle
Barça skipped the Club World Cup this summer — not by choice, but due to UEFA coefficient gaps. Still, the absence allowed Hansi Flick’s staff to focus on what mattered most: continuity.
🔄 Transfers In
Joan García (GK, Espanyol – €25M): Confident on the ball, Barcelona added him early in the window.
Roony Bardghji (Forward, Copenhagen – €2.5M): Promising winger brought in as a future project.
Marcus Rashford (Loan, Manchester United): Confirmed and now training with the team on tour in Asia.
🚪 Departures
Oriol Romeu likely to leave before August
Marc-André ter Stegen and Iñaki Peña left off Asia tour squad — unclear whether due to fitness or role rotation
🔍 Tactical Focus
Flick isn’t rebooting — he’s refining.
Emphasis is on quick pressing, tight midfield triangles, and giving Yamal, Gavi, and Pedri room to dictate tempo.
Rashford’s arrival adds directness on the left, while Bardghji may be eased in behind Raphinha and Ferran.
Barça is betting on trust in its system and talent, not headlines.
📊 Side‑by‑Side Snapshot
✈️ El Clásico Trips: Be There for the Reset
This isn’t just another season. This is a shift.
Whether you back Real Madrid’s structured rebuild or Barça’s rising continuity, one thing is clear — watching this unfold live is on another level.
With El Clásico Trips, we deliver:
🛏️ 4-star+ city hotels
🎟️ Verified Clásico match access
🚐 Private transfers, stadium tours, and curated experiences
🍷 Insider access and a fan community that travels together
