Spanish football giant, Real Madrid, has appointed its former player, Xabi Alonso, as manager on a three-year deal, to prevent the club from recording a trophyless season.
Alonso, who was appointed by the Spanish club weeks after leaving German club, Bayer Leverkusen, made 236 appearances for Real Madrid as a player.
Former Liverpool and Spain midfielder Alonso, who has signed a deal running until 30 June 2028, succeeds Italian football tactician, Carlo Ancelotti, who has been appointed as Brazil.
The Italian took charge of his final game for the Spanish giants on yesterday, and will now become coach of Brazil.
Alonso, who won the Champions League as a player at Real in 2014, will be introduced as manager at Real Madrid’s training ground on Monday and will be in charge for the Club World Cup, with his first game against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal on 18 June.
Earlier this month Ancelotti called Alonso “one of the best in the world”.
The 43-year-old led Leverkusen to their first ever Bundesliga title – secured without losing a game – as well as the German Cup in his first full season as a senior club manager during the 2023-24 campaign.
But Leverkusen failed to retain their Bundesliga this season, finishing second behind Bayern Munich.
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is on the brink of agreeing a deal to replace Alonso at Leverkusen.
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Alonso, a World Cup winner in 2010, took up his first coaching role with Real Madrid’s Under-14 side in 2018.
After impressing in three years in charge of Real Sociedad’s B team, his first managerial role in first-team football came when he took over at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022.
He lifted the club from second from bottom to a sixth-place finish in the 2022-23 Bundesliga, before the following season securing the club’s first German title and becoming the first side to win the competition with an unbeaten record.
A Europa League final defeat by Atalanta represented their only defeat in 53 games in all competitions, before they completed a domestic double in the German Cup.
Alonso, a double European Championship winner with Spain, was linked with Real, Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in 2005, and Bayern last year, but said in March 2024 that he wanted to stay at Leverkusen following talks with the club’s hierarchy.
Despite losing just three times in the Bundesliga this season, Leverkusen were unable to defend their title.
Alonso’s side were knocked out of this season’s Champions league in the last 16 by Bayer Munich, while they suffered a shock loss to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semi-finals.
