Here's everything you need to know about Real Madrid's new coach Xabi Alonso

Published on 25/05/2025 - 16:49 GMT+2

Alonso has signed a three-season statement until 2028 and will beryllium officially presented this Monday astatine Real Madrid's training ground. This determination marks nan return of nan erstwhile Merengues subordinate to nan Santiago Bernabeu, but this clip from nan bench.

The first large situation for nan caller coach will beryllium to hole nan squad for nan FIFA Club World Cup to beryllium played successful nan United States, pinch conscionable 2 weeks of mentation near pursuing his taking up of nan role.

Alonso will person to negociate a dressing room that has publically shown its affection for Ancelotti and which, aft a fateful season, is erstwhile again leaving Real Madrid. Players specified arsenic Vinícius, Rodrygo and Endrick will proceed to activity pinch nan Italian successful nan Brazilian nationalist team, which adds a typical magnitude to this transition.

Xabi Alonso's profession arsenic a coach

The San Sebastian-born coach arrives successful Madrid aft a successful spell astatine Bayer Leverkusen, wherever he achieved:

• Undefeated Bundesliga champion 2023-24 (all-time record).
• German Cup winner.
• German Supercup 2024.
• Europa League finalist.

Before his clip successful Germany, Alonso managed Real Sociedad B for 3 seasons (2019-2022), achieving nan team's promotion to nan Second Division, though nan squad was subsequently relegated.

Xabi Alonso's style of play

Real Madrid's caller coach is characterised by 4 basal points:

• Defensive strategy of 3 centre-backs arsenic a hallmark.
• Use of attacking full-backs.
• Alternation betwixt 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 formations .
• Offensive style developed since his clip astatine Real B.

Carlo Ancelotti has ever shown his public support for Xabi Alonso. Back successful 2017, erstwhile they coincided astatine Bayern Munich, nan Italian predicted: "Xabi Alonso has nan expertise to go a bully coach".

Recently, astatine a property conference, he declared: "The doorway is unfastened to him because he is 1 of nan champion coaches."

The return of a fable to nan Bernabeu

Xabi Alonso returns to Real Madrid wherever he shone arsenic a player, playing a cardinal domiciled successful winning nan tenth Champions League nether Ancelotti himself. His acquisition arsenic a Merengues footballer and his successful profession arsenic a coach make him a early plus for nan club.

The Basque coach will person nan work of maintaining Real Madrid's competitory level and adapting quickly to a squad he has not himself put together. His proven expertise to make his teams competitory and his knowledge of nan nine from nan wrong are his main assets for this caller challenge.