Xabi Alonso appointed as Real Madrid manager on three-year contract

Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Real Madrid’s new manager on a three-year contract. The Spaniard and former Madrid midfielder, who announced he was leaving Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, will replace Carlo Ancelotti, who is becoming Brazil’s first foreign head coach.

Ancelotti led Madrid to a farewell 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Saturday and Alonso will now take over in time for the Club World Cup, which begins next month.

In a statement, Madrid said it “announces that Xabi Alonso will be Real Madrid’s manager for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028. Xabi Alonso is one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid and world football.”

As a player, Alonso played 236 matches, winning the Champions League, La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, the European Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup. He memorably helmed Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season, and now returns to Spain, in the words of Madrid, “as one of the best coaches in the world”.

Alonso will be officially unveiled as the new manager on Monday.

Following Leverkusen’s double last season, consisting of an unbeaten league campaign and victory in the German Cup, they finished second this time around, 13 points behind Bayern Munich. His last game in charge was a 2-2 draw at Mainz – the club’s 12th draw of 34 matches in the league.

Having pledged his future to the club last summer, Alonso revealed this month: “We have agreed that these two games are going to be my last two games as a Bayern Leverkusen coach. We have been talking during this week that is always about the moment and now is the right moment to announce it.”

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