A new leader for a new era. A strategist. A legend. Today, everything changes.
It’s official: Xabi Alonso is the new manager of Real Madrid. The return of El Profesor, as he’s fondly known. The man of the 60-yard pass, the one whose heart rate barely rises in the eye of the storm. A calm commander without a whip – yet obsessively meticulous. If something’s not fully nailed down, he’ll wake at 2:00 a.m. to sort it. A perfectionist who’s proven that chess can be played on a football pitch. Elegant, discreet, and unlike any other – as a player, and now as a coach. He’s signed a three-year deal, until 2028. From this moment on, for better or worse, this is his team. This is Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid.
His reign begins almost immediately. Alonso will officially take charge on June 1, leading the squad into the FIFA Club World Cup. The build-up will be rushed – due to the international break, he’ll have just one week with the full team before their debut on June 18, against Al Hilal. But whatever happens, it will be with him. Alongside his trusted staff brought from Germany – Sebas Parrilla as assistant and Ismael Camenforte, dubbed the “new Pintus”, as fitness lead. And with three new signings: Dean Huijsen (already confirmed), Trent Alexander-Arnold (whose announcement is imminent), and a left-back, likely Juan Miranda Carreras (80% done). These are the foundation stones of a new project, one that starts June 1 in Valdebebas.
A gentleman’s agreement
Weeks of talks, negotiations, and meetings led to this moment. The process began after Madrid’s Champions League exit – and accelerated after their collapse in La Cartuja. From that point on, the pace picked up. The key: a gentleman’s agreement that had already become public knowledge. If Real paid around $8.6 million, Bayer Leverkusen would not stand in the way. That’s exactly what happened. The only remaining question was the timing: before or after the Club World Cup? If it was the latter, Santiago Solari would’ve stepped in temporarily. But in recent weeks – following the club’s promise of those three signings – Alonso agreed to start now.
Obsessed with the Club World Cup
His presentation is set for Monday, but Alonso starts giving orders on June 1. He’ll be on the sidelines in the United States for the Club World Cup – a tournament with a jaw-dropping prize (Madrid expect to earn $108 million if they win) and extraordinary excitement behind the scenes. There’s a burning ambition to be “the first champions in the competition’s history – just like they were for the European Cup.” The urgency now makes perfect sense. Alonso has accepted the challenge. Inside the locker room, his arrival is seen as a leadership statement. At the club, they insist that, despite his age, he arrives with full authority. He is the manager. The leader. Period.
What will his Madrid look like?
Alonso, 43, will be presented at Valdebebas tomorrow. He’s signed through to 2028, and he brings with him a sense of revolution. The biggest question surrounds his formation: the current feeling is he’ll opt for a 4-4-2, with Vinícius Jr and Kylian Mbappé up front. But the more radical system he used at Leverkusen – with three center-backs and wing-backs – is tempting his staff. It’s unlikely to work at Madrid, but not impossible. He’ll also have to make tough calls on several players walking a tightrope – including David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Fran García, and Rodrygo.
Stepping into Carletto’s shoes
The Madrid that’s coming is full of mystery. It’s expected to be vertical, attacking, bold. A fearless team built for spectacle, especially with Hansi Flick’s Barça as rivals. Xabi Alonso is here. It’s real. He replaces Carlo Ancelotti, who leaves behind a towering legacy: 15 titles and three Champions Leagues. No small feat. Alonso knows him well – Ancelotti coached him during the 2013–14 season at Madrid (Xabi’s last year at the club) and again at Bayern Munich in 2016–17. Their bond remains strong. Still, if someone had written this next chapter back then, neither would’ve believed it. Yet here we are.
From Tolosa to the stars
Alonso grew up in Tolosa, a quaint Basque town of 20,000. That’s where it all began. His coaching journey started in 2018–19 with Real Madrid’s Under-14s, leading them to a league title. He then returned to Zubieta – his other home – guiding Real Sociedad B to a historic promotion to Spain’s second tier. Then came his masterpiece at Bayer Leverkusen: a domestic treble of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Supercup. He brought them back to the Champions League – resurrecting a wounded giant and making it roar again.
And he achieved the unthinkable: ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga. From 2012 to 2024, there had only been one champion. Then Xabi arrived and turned everything upside down. Fifty-one games unbeaten – until their Europa League final loss to Atalanta. Just one defeat in all of 2023–24, but it stung. Still, it was enough to reach the Champions League, where they were knocked out by Bayern. Even so, Xabi brought them back to the top.
The “bug” and 2 a.m. wake-ups
“I love football too much to stay away from it,” Alonso told El País. “Not being able to play it anymore makes this job pull me in... I get up at 2 a.m. and start preparing things because I’ve been turning over in bed. Until I tie up that loose end, I can’t rest. Once the bug gets into your blood, it doesn’t leave. I’m not the only coach who does this.” He hung up his boots in 2017, took a year off, and then stepped in to manage Real Madrid’s U14s – while earning his UEFA Pro License alongside Raúl, Xavi, and Víctor Valdés, graduating in 2019.
No iron fist
“A drill sergeant? No way! I like discipline and basic professional standards, but being a bastard... it doesn’t come naturally. Though sure, if I need to, I’ll put on the jacket and be a bastard... You have to play different tunes,” he said in 2017, again to El País. About Madrid, he added: “You can win La Liga, the Copa del Rey... but the photos in the Valdebebas hallway are of the Champions League winners. At Madrid, the Champions League is what earns you a place in history.” He knows what’s expected. He’s coming to the temple of the Big Ears.
The Professor’s time
From today, it’s his era. It’s official – he’s the new manager. The Professor is back in the capital. He’ll lead the team from June 1. He’ll be at the Club World Cup. The man of 60-yard passes, the one who stays cool in chaos. The one who plays chess on grass. The boy from Tolosa. The genius of Leverkusen. A strategist. A legend. He’s here. Ladies and gentlemen, get comfortable. This is the Real Madrid of Xabi Alonso.