Madrid – It is back.
Xabi Alonso returns to Real Madrid to take care of a club that did not meet expectations this season.
The Spanish power announced the hiring of Alonso on Sunday to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who is going to take care of Brazil’s work. Alonso will take over June 1 and receive a contract until June 2028, The club said.
Ancelotti, 65, leaves after four seasons mostly successful with Madrid. He offered A crying farewell Saturday in the last game of the Spanish League team. Ancelotti’s contract was going to end at the end of next season, but the club He confirmed his departure on Friday after being announced as the Next Brazilian coach.
Madrid began the season winning the title of the UEFA Super Cup, but mostly had problems, not raising another trophy and losing the four “classic” games against the rival Barcelona, which achieved a double league and cup.
Alonso, 43, returns to a family environment.
“Alonso is one of Real Madrid’s greatest legends and world football. He defended our shirt in 236 official games between 2009 and 2014. He won six titles during this time: the tenth European Cup in Lisbon, a European Super Cup, a League title, two Spanish glasses and a super Spanish cup,” the club said.
As a coach, Alonso took Bayer Leverkusen to an unprecedented German league and Cup last year after Taking the team When I was in the Bundesliga descent zone, the previous season.
His team is still the only one to complete an entire undefeated Bundesliga campaign. The only defeat of Leverkusen in 2023-24 went to Atalanta in the Europa League final, and recovered three days later by winning the 2024 German Cup.
The undefeated race of 35 Leverkusen games in the Bundesliga ended in August 2024 with a 3-2 defeat at home against Leipzig, against whom Alonso’s team unusually wasted a two-go advantage.
“Not only did you train us, you inspired us,” said Leverkusen’s captain, Granit Xhaka, on Instagram after Alonso confirmed his departure. “We will take your lessons far beyond the field.”
As a player from Spain and Madrid, Alonso showed an understanding of the game and the technical skills that created time and space for themselves, and opportunities for others. Real Sociedad and Liverpool previously benefited from their intelligence in the center of the field. He helped the latter to the Champions League title in 2005.
Alonso starred as a player when Madrid won a Spanish League title in 2012 and the 2014 Champions League before leaving for three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
There was always a feeling in Madrid that would return. The club is proud to bring back the old greats for training or management roles, such as Zinedine Zidane or Jorge Valdano, and Alonso seemed predestined to train after a career played in the management of teammates.
Alonso began his career as a coach with the youth teams of Madrid before returning to Real Sociedad, another old club, to take care of his reserve team. He took him to the promotion.
Now he will face different demands in Madrid, where he will have the task of responding to a buoyant Barcelona team headed by the exceptional Lamine Yamal and the Brazilian striker, Raphinha, supported by a cast of young local stars such as Pedri and Gavi.
You will have to put the main stars of the team: Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, again on the track after they could not help the team to succeed towards the end of the season.
Despite its success in taking Madrid to three titles of the Champions League, Ancelotti was considered a coach who largely allowed the players to get their own, giving their individual reign brilliance.
It is likely that Alonso is more structured with a clear idea of how they want each player to fit his team. A priority will be to strengthen the defense after serious injuries there last season undermined Ancelotti’s hopes to defend the titles of the Spanish League and the Champions League.
Madrid has already strengthened its defense with the firm of The defender of Spain Dean Huijsen They are likely to arrive in Bournemouth and more.
Whatever the player or go, Alonso will face the same demands: recover Madrid at the top in Spain and challenge a 16th European crown that extended records.
It is only his second work in senior management.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
