Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid: the hidden details behind a possible agreement
"His father was a player and then a coach... Then he [Xabi] became a very high-level player. His position on the pitch and knowledge of the game was excellent. He has played in Spain, England, and Germany. He was coached by Guardiola at Bayern, by myself and then by Ancelotti at Real Madrid, and then by Benitez at Liverpool. So if you add all that up, Xavi has all the conditions to become a very good coach," shared Mourihno during an interview back in 2019.
Funny enough, Mourinho shared those statements just months before Xabi Alonso took his first job as a coach. The 'Special One' saw something special in Xabi.
Xabi Alonso has already made history with Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard picked up the German team on the verge of relegation during the 2022 campaign, and just one year and a half later, they are the Bundesliga champions.
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His remarkable coaching skills have not gone unnoticed across Europe. Some of Europe's greatest clubs have lucrative deals to secure his services, big teams like Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Nevertheless, Xabi Alonso has a clear road map and a path forward with his project at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spanish coach confirmed he would continue in the German squad during the 2024-2025 season, and help navigate the teams in the Champions League.
However, according to many Spanish journalists, Xabi Alonso has a verbal agreement with Real Madrid with regards to his future as a coach at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti is a Real Madrid icon at this point, with an incredible legacy at the club. He has been a crucial figure alongside his son Davide in this rejuvenated Real Madrid squad, mentoring players like Camavinga, Bellingham, and Vini Jr. Reasons for which the club has signed him on for two more seasons, until 2026.
However, it seems the Italian coach might be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in 2025, making way for Xabi Alonso, whom he already coached as a player during his time at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Of course, neither club nor player has confirmed such an agreement, but Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, shared "it is possible that at some point in his career, Xabi ends up managing Real Madrid," during an interview for AS.
With the possible arrival of Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu, many fans are speculating whether he will bring Florian Wirtz with him to the Spanish capital. The young Leverkusen jewel would be an ideal replacement for the veteran Toni Kroos.
This is just another chapter within Real Madrid's and Xabi Alonso's love story, but many 'Madridistas' already eagerly await the arrival of the Basque coach.
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