Real Madrid announced Xabi Alonso to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as coach on Sunday, with the Spaniard taking over on June 1 and leading the squad to the Club World Cup.
“Xabi Alonso will be the Real Madrid coach for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025, until June 30, 2028,” said Real Madrid in a statement.
With veteran Italian coach Ancelotti taking charge of the Brazilian national team, Madrid struck a contract with former midfielder Alonso, whom they have been linked with for months.
Alonso, 43, leaves Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the Bundesliga season after finishing second.
“Alonso is one of the biggest legends at Real Madrid and in world football,” continued Los Blancos’ statement.
“He wore our shirt in 236 games between 2009 and 2014. During that time he won six trophies.”
He will be officially presented on Monday at 10:30 GMT.
In the 2023-2024 season, Alonso led Leverkusen to a league and German Cup double, making him a target for Europe’s top clubs.
He had an agreement with Leverkusen to allow him to leave if one of his former sides, including Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, wanted to hire him.
Despite winning the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup, Ancelotti’s Madrid team lost to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals and then reclaimed the Liga throne from their arch-rivals, meaning they failed to win a major trophy.
Madrid struggled to integrate French superstar Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior without destabilising the team.
Mbappé scored 31 La Liga goals and is expected to win the European Golden Shoe.
Alonso’s main task will be to restore the team’s solidity without compromising the attack after Madrid lost 14 matches this season.
