Real Madrid has officially appointed Xabi Alonso as their new head coach, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti starting June 1, 2025. Alonso will lead the team into the Club World Cup and has signed a contract through June 30, 2028.
“Xabi Alonso will be the Real Madrid coach for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025, until June 30, 2028,” the club announced in a statement on Sunday.
Ancelotti, the veteran Italian manager, is departing to take charge of the Brazilian national team. In response, Madrid secured a long-anticipated deal with Alonso, 43, who leaves Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the Bundesliga season after guiding them to a second-place finish.
“Alonso is one of the greatest legends in Real Madrid and world football,” the club added.
“He played 236 matches for us between 2009 and 2014, winning six trophies in that time.”
Alonso will be officially presented as head coach on Monday at 10:30 GMT.
The former midfielder enjoyed a standout 2023–24 season with Leverkusen, leading the German side to a domestic double—the Bundesliga and German Cup—while remaining unbeaten in the league. His achievements caught the attention of top clubs across Europe.
Alonso had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave Leverkusen if approached by a former club—Real Madrid, Liverpool, or Bayern Munich.
Ancelotti’s final season at Madrid was underwhelming, with the team winning only the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. They were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and lost both the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals to Barcelona, who also reclaimed the La Liga title.
Despite the marquee signing of Kylian Mbappé, who scored 31 goals and is on track to win the European Golden Shoe, Ancelotti struggled to balance the lineup, particularly when pairing the French forward with Vinícius Júnior.
Madrid’s defensive frailties showed, as the team suffered 14 defeats this season, a stark contrast to just two losses the previous year.
Alonso now steps in to restore stability while maintaining the team’s attacking firepower. He inherits the role from one of the most decorated coaches in Real Madrid history. Ancelotti, 65, won 15 trophies across two spells at the club, including three Champions League titles. Notably, he delivered La Décima—Madrid’s 10th European crown—in 2014, with Alonso in the squad (although suspended for the final).
Renowned for his tactical intelligence, Alonso has been shaped by elite mentors like Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, and Vicente del Bosque. He helped Spain dominate world football, winning two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.
Since retiring in 2017, Alonso has managed youth teams at Real Madrid and Real Sociedad before taking the helm at Leverkusen in 2022.
Madrid is already active in the transfer market, having signed defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. They are also closing in on Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contract at Anfield is nearing its end. The club hopes to finalize the signing before the Club World Cup.
Alonso’s first competitive match in charge will be against Saudi club Al-Hilal on June 18 in Miami, marking the start of Madrid’s campaign in FIFA’s lucrative summer tournament—and the beginning of a new era under Alonso.
