Why Do Fans Boo Marcos Alonso? The Marcos Alonso Car Crash Information

Marcos Alonso is a well-known and highly accomplished football player who currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. Alonso has won several titles and honours, as well as being capped by the Spanish national team.

However, Alonso is one of the most disliked footballers around the world. Many people wonder why this is the case. The answer lies in an event in 2011, where Alonso was the driver in a collision which resulted in the death of a young woman.

The Marcos Alonso 2011 Car Crash

In May 2011, whilst Alonso – 20 years old at the time – was playing for English club Bolton Wanderers, the Spaniard was involved in a car crash which resulted in the death of a 22 year-old woman.

The crash happened in Madrid, with Alonso the driver. Alonso was driving at 70mph in a 30mph zone – more than twice the legal limit. What made it worse is that he was driving in wet conditions.

Moreover, there was alcohol involved. Alonso had a blood alcohol content of 0.93mg/mL. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.5mg/mL. Alonso was therefore well above the drink-drive limit.

The combination of excessive speed, too much alcohol and the wet conditions was a deadly triumvirate. Alonso’s car ploughed into a wall, which resulted in the death of a 22 year-old woman, who was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arriving at hospital. The woman was found to not be wearing a seat-belt.

Three others in the car were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and all made recoveries. Alonso came out of the crash unscathed.

In the aftermath Alonso was arrested, and was initially charged with Driving Under the Influence resulting in death and injury from reckless driving. Alonso was able to still play football professionally while waiting for his sentence. For some inexplicable reason, it took until 2016 for Alonso to finally receive his sentence.

The charges were eventually dropped altogether with just a fine and driving ban given. The driving ban had already been spent by the time the sentence was handed down. Alonso reportedly paid the victim’s family 500,000 euros, which seemed to help his punishment be reduced.

Ultimately it was decided that it was a terrible accident, rather than murder. Spanish law is much more lenient in terms of drunk driving, with this case being emblematic of the issue of death by drink driving – where sentences are lenient.

The impact on Alonso’s career

Alonso was once part of the Real Madrid youth squad, and made one appearance for the Spanish giants. He first came to the United Kingdom in 2010, playing for Bolton Wanderers.

After spells at Fiorentina and Sunderland, Alonso turned up at Chelsea in 2016. He won the Premier League with Chelsea in his first season, and also claimed the Champions League during his tenure at the club.

However, Alonso has been frequently booed by fans of opposing clubs. This is commonplace in all of his matches. While it mainly happens in England, boos have been heard elsewhere too. It appears that his actions have not been forgotten.

There is a sense of injustice about the case. After all, someone did die in the car crash, affecting the lives of so many. Alonso largely got away with any punishment. If that was an everyday citizen, would it be the same? Surely not.

Somehow Alonso not only managed to avoid life imprisonment, but also prison altogether. It was as if the event never happened. It certainly doesn’t seem right.

The Takeaway

Alonso came into the world as part of an esteemed football family – with both his father and grandfather having had successful football careers. But without doubt, the Alonso name has been besmirched slightly by the car crash.

While it clearly was a mistake by Alonso, it was a mistake that cost someone their life. For all the success he has, it should always be remembered what the human cost of this was.