Xabi Alonso who took over the Real Madrid coaching reins from Carlo Ancelotti on Monday thanked the Italian for his guidance as a coach as well as a player, saying he would continue to follow in his footsteps and take the Los Blancos to new heights. Alonso, who won six titles as a player in Real Madrid colours from 2009-2014, was appointed after Ancelotti was hired as the Brazil national team coach.
“I’m here to take over from Carlo Ancelotti, who was my coach and is a great person,” Alonso said. “He is a coach who left his mark on me and had a great influence. Without his guidance, I probably wouldn’t be here. I’ll pick up his legacy with pride and honor of now being in the position that Carlo was before, and I hope to live up to the expectations and lead this club to achieve all of its objectives,” Alonso said.
“Without a doubt this is a very special day for me. I’m very happy to be at a place where I feel is my home. I may have been a few years away, but the link with Real Madrid and Madrid fans has always existed,” he added.
Alonso comes to Real after a highly successful stint with German club Bayer Leverkusen where he guided the team to an undefeated league title win in the 2023/24 season. Leverkusen’s only defeat in 2023-24 was to Atalanta in the Europa League final, and it bounced back three days later by winning the 2024 German Cup. This season, he conceded the title to Bayern but finished second.
“We have a great team, with fantastic players. I’m convinced that I can achieve important things, worthy of Real Madrid. I want to inspire the fans, make them proud of the team that they see on the field. I have a good feeling that we can start something great.”
As a player, Alonso helped Madrid win the Spanish league in 2012 and the 2014 Champions League before leaving to help Bayern Munich win three Bundesliga titles.
