The Spanish coach will leave his position at Bayer Leverkusen and return to one of the clubs where he excelled as a player
The new coach won't have an easy start. First, he will have to deal with the fact that the team didn't achieve important titles this season. Added to this are multiple issues, such as key players injured, a physically exhausted squad, players who know they will hardly stay at the club, and very little preparation time because many members will travel with their national teams before the World Cup.
Xabi Alonso will be in charge of managing Real Madrid in the upcoming Club World Cup. The merengue management and the coach reached an agreement for the new cycle to begin immediately, taking advantage of the tournament that will be held this summer in the United States, which is of great importance both sportingly and economically for the club.
With a prize of nearly 150 million euros at stake, Florentino Pérez and his board's decision was clear: bet on the team's future with Xabi from the start, without resorting to interim solutions as happened at the time with Santiago Solari.
The decision was made last week during a meeting where the club made its stance clear: "This starts at the World Cup". Real Madrid considers that it makes no sense to hire a new coach and leave him out of the tournament, while another, with less experience and without support, takes charge of the team in a high-profile competition.
Additionally, the tight schedule was a determining factor. The departure of Carlo Ancelotti marks the end of a cycle, and Alonso's arrival will be non-stop, as if it were a typical mid-season change. Xabi will have the complex task of building his team while competing, with a squad that won't necessarily be the same starting in August.
Despite this, Alonso plans to introduce changes in the tactical system, possibly implementing a five-defender line. It remains to be seen if he will do so from the tournament in June or wait for the start of the 2025/26 season.
Carlo Ancelotti will take over as Brazil's coach just a week after closing his chapter at Real Madrid. Like Alonso, the Italian lands in an institution of maximum demand, as the Canarinha is focused on winning its sixth world title in 2026.
The merengue coach will debut in a friendly precisely against Real Madrid and will have to take charge of managing the double qualifying date against Ecuador and Paraguay.
