Alonso the only option for Madrid, says former team-mate Drenthe

Xabi Alonso is the only coach in world football that could realistically replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, believes former Madrid wideman Royston Drenthe.

Alonso announced on Friday that he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the Bundesliga season, with Die Werkself guaranteed to finish second with two games remaining.

The former midfielder joined Leverkusen midway through the 2022-23 campaign, taking on his first senior managerial role after coaching Real Sociedad's B team for three years.

His first full campaign at the helm was an unprecedented success, as Leverkusen completed an unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2023-24, becoming German champions for the very first time.

His team also enjoyed a record-breaking unbeaten run among all sides in Europe's top five leagues (in all competitions), going 51 matches without defeat (42 wins, nine draws) before losing 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League final last May.

Alonso has been widely tipped to replace Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the five-time Champions League-winning coach expected to depart after Madrid surrendered their European crown.

Drenthe, who played with Alonso at Madrid between 2009 and 2012, believes Los Blancos need a coach with experience of the huge expectations surrounding the club.

"Look, if you're going to change and if you're going to change the great Ancelotti, who has had so many good years at Madrid, the only coach right now who has history with Madrid is Xabi Alonso," Drenthe told Stats Perform.

"He has done very well at Leverkusen, and I think if you are going to look at other coaches who are doing very well in the world, but who have no history with the club and also have to make the team and everything... it's going to be difficult. 

"I think Xabi Alonso is a person who is very professional. I had to work with him as a player, and you see with the way he is doing things at Leverkusen... you can't win the German league if you are not a good coach. 

"I think he is the only person who can do the job here in Spain for Madrid."

Alonso played 236 games for Madrid between his 2009 arrival from Liverpool and his 2014 departure for Bayern Munich.

In that time, he helped them win LaLiga in 2011-12, the Copa del Rey on two occasions and the Champions League in 2013-14 – with that fabled 'Decima' triumph halting a 12-year wait for Madrid to regain their European crown for a 10th time.

Alonso could still make more history with Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 33 away games in the Bundesliga (23 wins, 10 draws). 

That is the joint-longest run in the competition's history alongside an identical streak from Bayern, who achieved that feat between 2012 and 2014.

Leverkusen visit Mainz for their final game under Alonso on May 17, while his home farewell will be against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

Madrid, meanwhile, are four points adrift of Barcelona at the top of LaLiga ahead of Sunday's Clasico, knowing a defeat would see their title hopes all but extinguished.