Xabi activa el 'plan Endrick'

The shouts from the rest of the squad had faded into the background noise of Valdebebas, leaving only two figures in sharp focus on the manicured grass. The whistle had barely blown to end the final tactical drill before Manchester City, yet Xabi wasn’t heading for the tunnel. He was locked in, eyes intense, hands gesturing wildly, carving out invisible passing lanes in the air in front of a teenager who looked less like a prospect and more like a loaded weapon.

This wasn’t a casual chat. This was an upload of data. A transfer of responsibility. The source material tells us Xabi was "very pending" of Endrick, giving him specific indications. Let’s cut through the sanitized PR noise and call this what it is: a desperate, brilliant roll of the dice. By activating the "Endrick Plan" against the robotic perfection of Manchester City, the management isn't just tweaking a lineup; they are admitting that the current Plan A is broken.

The Failure of the 'Galactico' Status Quo

Why are we even talking about an 18-year-old Brazilian saving the day against the European champions? It’s because the established hierarchy has become stagnant. We have spent months eulogizing the arrival of superstars, building fantasy lineups on paper that, in reality, lack the grit required to dismantle a Pep Guardiola system.

Manchester City thrives on predictability. They want you to play the game they have simulated a thousand times in their analytics department. They know how to press a traditional build-up. They know how to isolate a sulking winger. What they do not know—what they cannot simulate—is the raw, unpolished, vertical chaos that Endrick brings.

"Xabi isn't coaching a formation here; he is coaching an insurgency. He is telling Endrick to ignore the polite rules of engagement."

The fact that Xabi spent the final session specifically drilling Endrick suggests a tactical pivot that prioritizes directness over possession. It is an indictment of the midfield's inability to control games and a scathing review of the forward line's defensive work rate. You don't turn to the kid if the veterans are doing their job.

Chaos Theory vs. The Machine

Let’s analyze the "indications" Xabi was likely barking at the Brazilian. Against City, you do not win by out-passing Rodri. That is a suicide mission. You win by bypassing him entirely.

Endrick represents a profile that Real Madrid has lacked since the prime days of Benzema, but with a different physical flavor. He is a battering ram with a low center of gravity. Xabi knows that City’s center-backs, comfortable as they are on the ball, despise being physically harassed for 90 minutes. They hate unpredictability.

The Tactical Blueprint

• The Pressing Trap: Unlike the casual jogging we see from some superstars, Endrick presses with the enthusiasm of a player who hasn't yet earned his fortune. Xabi is likely instructing him to cut the passing lanes to the pivot, forcing City wide.
• The Ball Carrier: City commits bodies forward. The "Plan Endrick" relies on his ability to receive the ball with his back to goal, spin a defender (think Dias or Akanji), and drive into the vacuum of space left behind.
• The Decoy Run: By occupying the central channels physically, Endrick frees up the half-spaces for the wingers. He takes the hits so others can take the glory.

This is not "joga bonito." This is guerrilla warfare. And it is exactly what is needed. The consensus among the pundits will be that starting Endrick or relying on him heavily is "too soon." They will say he lacks the experience for a Champions League night of this magnitude. I say that experience is overrated when experience means playing with fear. Endrick doesn't know enough to be scared of Manchester City. That is his superpower.

A High-Stakes Gamble for Xabi

We need to address the elephant in the room regarding Xabi. Whether we are discussing Xabi Alonso’s potential future influence or a specific tactical coach within the current setup, the decision to pin the strategy on Endrick is a legacy-defining move.

If this backfires, the critics will sharpen their knives. They will ask why hundreds of millions of euros in talent were bypassed for a "plan" involving a teenager. They will call it naive. They will say the tactical setup was too narrow, too direct, too disrespectful of City’s possession.

But ask yourself this: Is the alternative working? Watching Real Madrid sit back in a low block, praying for a counter-attack while City suffocates the life out of the game? We have seen that movie. Sometimes you survive, sometimes you get thrashed 4-0 at the Etihad.