Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Real Madrid's head coach on a three-year contract, replacing Carlo Ancelotti who is set to become Brazil's first foreign head coach. The former Madrid and Spain midfielder, who announced his departure from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, will officially take over on 1 June 2025.
Real Madrid confirmed the appointment in a statement, describing Alonso as 'one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid and world football'. Alonso, who played 236 matches for Madrid, winning the Champions League, La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, the European Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, returns to the club after a successful stint at Leverkusen where he led the team to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and German Cup double in the 2023-24 season.
Alonso's final game in charge of Leverkusen was a 2-2 draw at Mainz, leaving the club second in the Bundesliga, 13 points behind Bayern Munich. He will be officially unveiled as Madrid's new manager on Monday, ahead of the Club World Cup which begins next month.
