Football | A new era dawns at Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso announced as Real Madrid manager
The announcement follows Alonso’s decision earlier this month to step down from his role at Bayer Leverkusen, having guided the German club to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and a domestic cup double in his first full season.
Author - Ajay
The former Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder returns to the Bernabeu on a three-year contract, succeeding Carlo Ancelotti.
It brings to a close Ancelotti’s second spell in charge. Though expected, the departure of the club’s most successful manager is still tinged with melancholy.
The transition is complete. Ancelotti, one of the game's most respected figures, now turns his attention to Brazil, while Alonso, the heir apparent, steps into one of football’s most demanding roles. This is more than a change in personnel. It marks the end of one era and the start of another, a quiet passing of the baton from the seasoned elder to the ambitious newcomer.
That it happened so seamlessly owes much to Leverkusen, who honoured a gentleman’s agreement not to obstruct Alonso should an irresistible offer arrive. True to their word, they allowed him to go.
The challenge ahead for Alonso
Real Madrid now place their future in the hands of a 43-year-old manager whose rapid rise has captured the imagination of European football. Club president Florentino Pérez views Alonso as the ideal long-term appointment, a tactician with intelligence and poise, and someone well-placed to guide Madrid through a generational shift.
The challenges, however, are considerable. He inherits a squad in transition. He will need to find a delicate balance between the incoming presence of Kylian Mbappé and the growing influence of Vinícius Júnior, who is set to sign a new long-term contract. At the same time, he must integrate emerging talents such as Endrick and Arda Güler, while easing out veterans who have defined the past decade.
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Success will be expected immediately. Alonso must satisfy a hierarchy that values control, a fanbase that craves silverware, and a media landscape that will scrutinise his every move.
His credentials are sound. His work in Germany has shown tactical clarity and emotional intelligence. But Madrid is no ordinary club. It is not a place where talent alone ensures survival.
Last season’s La Liga and Champions League double gave way to a campaign without silverware. That, ultimately, justified the club’s decision to bring the Ancelotti era to an end.
Yet to measure Ancelotti solely by trophies is to miss the point. He leaves with 15 titles across two spells (more than any manager in the club’s history) and with his reputation enhanced.
He brought calm to a club often defined by turmoil, dignity to the dugout, and success delivered with grace. In his own quiet way, Ancelotti changed the rhythm of Madrid. And now, the baton passes to Alonso, who must write his own chapter in the club’s story.
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