Xabi Alonso Presentation at Santiago Bernabeu; New Real Madrid Coach Pays Tribute to Carlo Ancelotti

Xabi Alonso Returns to the Santiago Bernabeu and Delivers an Emotional Message for His Legendary Predecessor.

Real Madrid is set to begin a new chapter with the arrival of Xabi Alonso at the helm. On Monday, the club legend Xabi Alonso was officially presented as the new head coach at the Santiago Bernabeu. Returning to the club where he spent six successful seasons as a player, Alonso begins a new journey.

Alonso, 43, was appointed on a three-year deal until June 2028. He has replaced Carlo Ancelotti, who concluded his second spell in charge after a final-day win over Real Sociedad. The Italian departs with an illustrious record with the club that includes three Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns.

👔 @XabiAlonso unveiled as new Real Madrid coach!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 26, 2025

Before outlining his vision for the future, Alonso took a moment to honour Carlo Ancelotti during his presentation. He said, “Before talking about the new era, I want to talk about the one that has ended. Carlo was my coach, a great person, a big influence on me. Without his teaching, what I learnt from him, I probably wouldn’t be here. I take on his legacy with a lot of pride.”

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Ready to Lead, Ready to Inspire

Alonso’s unveiling came with excitement and nostalgia. He was an icon at Read Madrid as a player, so coming back to the club as the coach, he expressed his emotions, saying, “It is a very special day and I am going to have it marked on my calendar for life. I have been away for some years but the connection with Real Madrid has always been there.”

Fresh off a historic unbeaten domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso is among Europe’s most admired young tacticians. But he remained grounded while talking about the job at hand, saying, “We have a great team, we have fantastic players. That gives me reason to come here with energy and motivation.”

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Xabi Alonso on Building Real Madrid 2.0

Looking ahead, Alonso emphasised flexibility and connection, saying “I want the team to transmit emotion, energy, to play ambitiously and to connect with the people.” With stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and more in the squad, his first test will be shaping a side with massive individual talent into a cohesive unit.

The new Real Madrid boss will start his work officially on June 1. His first job will be a tough one considering he will lead the team into the FIFA Club World Cup next month. He will have very little time to work with the team as many players will also leave for national duties at the beginning of this month. Even so, Alonso’s reign will be defined by how he does at the tournament in June.

Bayer Leverkusen

Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid

Santiago Bernabeu

Xabi Alonso

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.