Tag: Alonso

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his side against overconfidence ahead of today’s visit to face city rivals Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Los Blancos have won every match they have played this season, leading the top flight by two points ahead of champions Barcelona and nine from Atletico, who are languishing in ninth.

However the Spaniard, coaching the team for the first time in a derby clash against Atletico, said his players must keep their feet on the ground.

 “Every game is very difficult to win… we cannot be overconfident,” Alonso told a news conference. “Just by going out on to the pitch it doesn’t mean we are going to win, we have to be consistent in our performance.

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 “The more we teach ourselves to be active, the more games we will win. If we have that natural activation, we will be able to claim many points.”

Despite rising criticism of coach Diego Simeone for Atletico’s struggles in recent months, after they finished last season trophy less, Alonso hailed the long-serving Argentinian and admitted he could not imagine such longevity for himself at Real Madrid at the moment.

Xabi Alonso said he was convinced he can achieve great things at Real Madrid after he was unveiled as manager of the LaLiga club.

Alonso was appointed manager on Sunday, returning to the Santiago Bernabeu where he spent six seasons as a player and won several trophies.

The 43-year-old had been in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, who he guided to a double last season as they won the German Cup and lifted their first Bundesliga title without losing a game.

“Without a doubt, this is a very special day for me. A day that I will have marked in my calendar for life. I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home,” said Alonso, who will begin his tenure on June 1 ahead of the Club World Cup.

“The bond with Madrid has never ceased to exist and, since I entered Valdebebas (training centre) an hour and a half ago, that feeling has been reborn. I have the feeling that this is the beginning of a new era…

“We have a great team, we have fantastic players and a very good potential. That gives me reason to come here with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We have the conviction that we can achieve important things, worthy of Real Madrid and these European Cups.”

Alonso takes charge of a Real side who had a sub-par season by their own lofty standards, finishing second in LaLiga behind Barcelona, who also beat them in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals.

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They were knocked out of the Champions League as holders in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

Alonso has signed a three-year contract until June 2028 and replaces Carlo Ancelotti, who took charge of his last game on Saturday.

In his address at the presentation, the Spaniard paid tribute to his predecessor and former coach.

“Before I start talking about the new era, I don’t want to forget to talk about the era that has just ended,” Alonso said.

“Carlo was my coach, a great person and a huge influence. Without his mastery, I probably wouldn’t be here. I take over and carry on his legacy with great honour and pride.

“I hope to live up to expectations and be able to take the club to all the places we all believe we can.”

Alonso joined Real in 2009 from Liverpool and made 236 appearances, winning a LaLiga title, two Copa del Rey trophies and the club’s long-awaited 10th European crown.

He began his coaching career at Real’s youth academy where he managed the Under-14 team during the 2018-19 season, winning the league and the Champions tournament.

He took charge of Real Sociedad’s reserve team before making the step up to take the Leverkusen job.

Former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso is set to become the next Real Madrid manager on a three-year deal when he leaves Bayer Leverkusen after this season,   according to Spanish media.

Alonso, 43, is expected to replace current Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is being lined up for the vacant Brazil job ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Despite the Italian having a year remaining on his contract, Real’s underwhelming season and his desire to coach Brazil have led to a mutual agreement to part ways, the sources added.

Alonso, who said earlier this month that he was leaving Leverkusen after guiding them to the double last term, will join Real before the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 14, multiple media reports said.

Alonso, who also played for Liverpool and Bayern Munich, last season steered Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, ending the Bavarians’ 11-year domination, and they also won the German Cup and German Super Cup.

Reports of Ancelotti’s likely departure come as no surprise after Real’s 4-3 defeat at Barcelona in a thrilling ‘El Clasico’ on Sunday left his side on the brink of a trophyless season.

The 65-year-old Italian, who returned for a second stint at Real in June 2021, led the Spanish giants to two Champions League and LaLiga doubles, the latest of which came last season.

He is the most successful manager in the club’s history with a total of 15 trophies and the first coach to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues.

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However, this season Real were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and allowed Barca to fight back and win 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.

Second-placed Real are seven points adrift of Barcelona, who could secure the league title on Wednesday without kicking a ball if Real fail to win at home to Mallorca.

Regardless of Real’s result, a Barca victory in the city derby away to Espanyol on Thursday would clinch the title.

An official announcement regarding a managerial change is expected before Real’s last game of the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25.

Ancelotti is expected to receive a fitting farewell, recognising his four highly successful years with the club.

Bayer Leverkusen want to show that they have rediscovered their consistency with a win at Union Berlin on Saturday that would make it three victories in a row across all competitions for the German champions, coach Xabi Alonso has said.

Leverkusen, who won the domestic league and Cup double last season without a single defeat, crushed Heidenheim in the league 5-2 last week before firing another five goals past RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday in a 5-0 win.

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Yet they have managed three consecutive victories across all competitions only once this season, back in September.

“We want to have again a good feeling. After (the win over) Heidenheim it was better and it was certainly better after Salzburg,” coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference.

“Tomorrow is a different game… but it is a good moment to show that after two good games we can play a third good one in a row. I want another clean sheet tomorrow.”

Ahead of  his side’s Europa League quarter-finals, record-chasing  Bayer Leverkusen coach  Xavi Alonso  has hinted about the  possibility of  starting Super  Eagles striker  Victor  Boniface against the  visiting Premier league side.

Alonso said Boniface  who  was out injured  last January  which made him missed  the  2023 AFCON, was ready to play from the start, having made two appearances off the bench since returning from injury.

“He (Boniface) has been able to play against Union a little longer. He is one of those who could play from the beginning tomorrow. It is good for us that he is completely fit again,” Alonso reportedly said  at his press conference yesterday.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen head into  tomorrow’s home first leg against West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals unbeaten in 41 matches this season, with 36 wins and five draws.

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While no German club, not even the mighty Bayern Munich, has gone through a season unbeaten, Alonso is not convinced the run should end.

The former Liverpool midfielder was asked if an unbeaten season would be a bigger miracle than the Reds’ come-from-behind Champions League final victory over AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005.

 “Why do we have to pick just one? We can live more than one miracle,” he said.

Down 3-0 at half-time, Liverpool fought back to draw 3-3, with Alonso scoring the third goal, before winning on penalties.

 “That was a big one which we all remember. And let’s see what happens with the second one.”

Despite having his side on course for a first Bundesliga title alongside qualifying for the German Cup final, Alonso said his team’s good work would come to nought in Europe should they fail to beat West Ham.

 “The Europa League is just two legs. It’s make or break.”

Europa League Fixtures

Milan vs. Roma

Leverkusen vs. West Ham           

Benfica vs. Marseille      

Liverpool vs. Atalanta

Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthaeus said a move to Liverpool in the summer was “not the right option” for in-demand Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.

Alonso has been linked with moves to Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, clubs where he all spent time as a player, having so far done a stunning job at runaway Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen.

Alonso has the unbeaten side 10 points clear of Bayern Munich and on track for a first-ever German title with eight games remaining this season.

In an interview with AFP and other media , Matthaeus said following outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp would be difficult for any coach and that the in-demand Alonso should stay with Leverkusen.

 “Liverpool is not the right option for Xabi Alonso after this season. He has better options.”

Matthaeus spent the majority of his career at Bayern and said he would welcome Alonso as the replacement for outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel in the summer but admitted in Munich “(Alonso) would have to build a new team for the future, with new players”.

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Leverkusen have won 34 and drawn four of 38 games this season. With the club in the final four of the German Cup and the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Alonso has Leverkusen on course for a treble.

 “Why move to Liverpool? Why should he leave this beautiful team which makes us happy with their beautiful football, like Barcelona 12 years ago?”

Klopp shocked the football world in January by announcing he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years at the Reds, citing exhaustion.

Matthaeus said Klopp’s success at Liverpool made him a hard act to follow.

 “To coach at Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp is not easy because Jurgen is a hero, he’s fantastic. What he was doing is great and what could you do that was much better?”

The 1990 World Cup winning captain praised current Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and said the side was “on the right path” after returning to form with wins over France and the Netherlands in the last week.

However, Matthaeus did add: “In Germany, our dream and wish was that Jurgen Klopp would be the next national coach.”