Real Madrid has appointed their former midfielder Xabi Alonso as manager to serve a three-year contract.
Alonso, who featured for Real Madrid in 236 matches during his playing days, revealed earlier this month that he would step down from his position as coach of Bayer Leverkusen at the season’s conclusion.
Alonso, a former midfielder for Liverpool and the Spanish national team, has signed an agreement lasting until June 30, 2028, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian managed his last game for the Spanish club on Saturday and is now set to coach Brazil.
Alonso, who achieved Champions League success as a player with Real in 2014, will be formally presented as manager at Real Madrid’s training facility on Monday and will oversee the Club World Cup, with his inaugural match against the Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal on June 18.
Earlier this month, Ancelotti referred to Alonso as “one of the best in the world.”
The 43-year-old guided Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga championship, achieved without a single defeat as well as the German Cup during his inaugural full season as a senior coach in the 2023-24 year.
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However, Leverkusen could not keep their Bundesliga title this season, finishing as runners-up to Bayern Munich.
Erik ten Hag, formerly of Manchester United, is close to finalizing a contract to take over Alonso’s position at Leverkusen.
After showcasing his skills over three years with Real Sociedad’s B team, he transitioned to first-team management when he took charge of Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022.
He transformed the club from second-to-last to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga for the 2022-23 season, then secured the club’s first German title during the next season while becoming the first team to complete the tournament undefeated.
A loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final was their only defeat across 53 matches in all competitions, before achieving a domestic double with the German Cup.
A two-time European Championship victor with Spain, Alonso was linked to Real and Liverpool, where he claimed the Champions League in 2005, and Bayern last year, yet in March 2024, he expressed his desire to remain at Leverkusen following discussions with the club’s leadership.
Despite only three losses this season in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen could not maintain their championship reign.
This season, Alonso’s squad was eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich and faced an unexpected defeat against third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup semi-finals.