Real Madrid eye Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso as future manager

By SABC Sport
26th September 2023

Real Madrid are reportedly setting their sights on Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso to take over as manager in 2024.

Ancelotti, though respected for his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu, faced a challenging 2023-24 season, failing to secure both La Liga and the Champions League titles. Despite a promising start to the current campaign, including five consecutive league victories, a recent 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid has intensified speculation that Ancelotti might seek opportunities elsewhere upon the conclusion of his contract.

With the Brazilian national team job linked to Ancelotti, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has begun contemplating a successor. However, Radio Marca reports that the club have already decided to pursue Xabi Alonso for the 2024-25 season and beyond.

Alonso, who has been at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen for nearly a year, has significantly elevated the club's status in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen currently boast 16 points from their first six matches of the season, positioning themselves as title contenders. Alonso's leadership also led to a memorable run to the Europa League semi-finals in the 2022-23 season, and the club is poised to make a strong bid for the same title this year.

With an impressive record of 23 wins, 11 draws, and only 10 defeats in 44 matches as manager, Alonso has clearly caught the attention of Real Madrid's hierarchy, including Perez. His stellar performance at Leverkusen suggests that he may be the ideal candidate to succeed Ancelotti.

Despite Alonso's existing contract with Leverkusen, the allure of returning to Real Madrid may prove irresistible, even at this stage of his managerial career. Between 2009 and 2015, Alonso enjoyed a six-year spell with the club, amassing 236 appearances and clinching both La Liga and Champions League titles.

His roots in Spanish football were cultivated during a three-year stint with Real Sociedad's 'B' side, where he notched 40 wins from 98 games before Leverkusen offered him the opportunity to move up the managerial ladder.