Xabi Alonso is alone in the Spain camp
Xabi Alonso has always had a difficult relationship with his Spain team-mates.
He has been a key player in the side but has not always seen eye-to-eye with his colleagues.
A disciple of Jose Mourinho's, when the manager was at Real Madrid, he has clashed with Barcelona players in the dressing room.
And while Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos worked with Xavi to fix the situation in the Spain camp, Alonso was on the other side of the battle, loyal to Mourinho.
Alonso became isolated in the squad, with just his team-mate at Real Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa, for company.
In the squad at Real Madrid there were factions, with Alonso and Arbeloa on one side and almost everybody else on the other.
Vicente del Bosque decided not to bring Arbeloa to the camp this time and so Alonso is alone.
He played badly against the Netherlands and Chile but still criticised his team-mates, and they have not taken kindly to it.
Some have ignored him, while others have reproached him and told them not to try and teach them a lesson.
Alonso's lack of integration in the squad is just one of the issues which has surfaced.
At 32, his retirement from international football should be nigh.
He will not find many friends by his side. The catastrophe at the Maracana may be the last fire he causes.
It is not elegant of him to criticise his colleagues when he failed to lead by example on the field.
Arbeloa defended Alonso on twitter, saying he has "respect and admiration for those who prefer to tell the truth and cause discomfort, rather than for those who tell lies".
