By Ayomide Otitoju
Real Madrid has officially appointed Xabi Alonso as the club’s new head coach, with the Spanish tactician set to take over from Carlo Ancelotti on June 1, 2025, the club announced on Sunday. Alonso, 43, will lead the team for three seasons, until June 30, 2028, and his first assignment will be at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The former Real Madrid midfielder, currently in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, will leave the German club at the end of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season, after guiding them to a historic second-place finish and an unbeaten league campaign the previous year that saw them claim a domestic double.
“Xabi Alonso will be the Real Madrid coach for the next three seasons… He is one of the biggest legends at Real Madrid and in world football,” read a statement from the club. Alonso made 236 appearances for Los Blancos between 2009 and 2014, winning six trophies, including La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Alonso’s appointment comes as Carlo Ancelotti, 65, prepares to take over the Brazilian national team. Despite a trophy-laden tenure that includes 15 titles across two spells with Madrid—highlighted by the 2014 Champions League La Decima triumph—Ancelotti’s final season ended in disappointment. Real Madrid finished the campaign without a major domestic or European trophy, falling to Barcelona in the La Liga title race, Spanish Super Cup, and Copa del Rey final, while also exiting the Champions League in the quarter-finals at the hands of Arsenal.
Alonso, widely regarded for his tactical acumen and leadership qualities, is seen as the ideal candidate to restore balance and competitive edge to Madrid’s squad. Known for his ability to organise and adapt systems, Alonso has previously worked under elite managers including Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, and Vicente del Bosque, and brings the experience of winning two European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain.
He began his coaching career at youth level with Real Madrid and Real Sociedad, before taking the reins at Leverkusen in 2022. His rapid rise and success in Germany made him one of Europe’s most sought-after managers. Notably, he had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave if approached by one of his former clubs—Madrid, Liverpool, or Bayern Munich.
Alonso will be formally unveiled as head coach at a press conference scheduled for Monday at 10:30 GMT.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid has already begun reshaping its squad ahead of Alonso’s tenure. The club recently signed defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth and is reportedly close to securing Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contract at Anfield expires this summer.
Madrid’s first competitive fixture under Alonso will be at the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. They are set to face Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami on June 18, marking the beginning of a new era under the former midfield maestro.
Alonso’s primary challenge will be to reintegrate key stars, including Kylian Mbappé—whose 31 La Liga goals this season are likely to earn him the European Golden Shoe—alongside Vinícius Júnior, in a system that maintains attacking potency while regaining defensive stability. After a sharp decline in form this season, where the team suffered 14 defeats, expectations will be high as Alonso embarks on his biggest managerial role to date.
