Xabi Alonso is the new coach of Real Madrid. © ANSA / CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF

Official: Xabi Alonso will be coach at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso is the new coach of Real Madrid. The 43-year-old former Real Madrid player will take over on June 1, ahead of the Club World Cup in the USA, in which Real Madrid will also compete. The tournament, featuring 32 clubs, will take place in the USA from June 14 to July 13.

25 May 2025

From: dpa/sn

Alonso signed a three-year contract, valid until June 30, 2028. He is scheduled to be unveiled at Ciudad Real Madrid on Monday. As expected, the successful Bayer Leverkusen coach will succeed Carlo Ancelotti. The highly decorated Italian, along with long-time playmaker Luka Modric, bid an emotional farewell to the fans at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday after Madrid's final home game of the season. Ancelotti will become the new national coach of Brazil after his second term at Real.

Madrid is only Alonso's second stop as a professional coach

For Alonso, it's a return to a former stomping ground. The Basque played for Real from 2009 to 2014 before moving to FC Bayern Munich. His coaching engagement in the Spanish capital had been on the cards for a long time.

Madrid is only Alonso's second stop as a professional coach. With Leverkusen, he crowned themselves undefeated champions and DFB Cup winners last summer. He also led the Rhinelanders to the Europa League final. Now he wants to help satisfy Real's immense hunger for titles.

Xabi Alonso was already in Madrid as a player. © APA/epa / Ballesteros

The Royals are having a disappointing season by their standards. This also proved to be a downfall for Ancelotti, who has coached the club since 2021 and also coached it between 2013 and 2015. Real and Ancelotti parted ways a year before their contracts expired. The Italian will coach the Seleção for the first time in the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in early June.

Alonso already bid farewell in Leverkusen

In the Champions League, Real Madrid were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Arsenal. In the Spanish Cup, Ancelotti and Real Madrid lost to FC Barcelona in the final, a loss always felt particularly painful in Madrid. Archrivals Barça also won the league title. Real had lost all four Clásicos against FC Barcelona this season.

Xabi Alonso has already said goodbye to Bayer Leverkusen. © ANSA / CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF

After weeks of speculation about his future, Alonso initially announced the end of his tenure at Leverkusen and officially said goodbye before the home game against Borussia Dortmund. He was celebrated for several minutes by the Leverkusen fans. The club had erected a street sign reading "Xabi Alonso Avenue."