A new chapter is set to begin at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid have reached a full agreement with Xabi Alonso, who is set to become the club’s next head coach.
The Spanish tactician will sign a three-year deal that runs until June 2028.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the move will see Alonso return to the club where he once bossed the midfield, this time as the man on the touchline.
Current manager Carlo Ancelotti will step down at the end of the 2024/25 season, with his final match in charge expected on May 25, 2025, at the conclusion of La Liga.
The Italian will leave behind a decorated legacy, having guided Madrid to league and Champions League triumphs during his second spell.
Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, has confirmed he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season, concluding a remarkable two-and-a-half-year stint that has transformed both his reputation and the club’s fortunes.
The 43-year-old masterminded Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title, delivering it in stunning fashion by going the entire 2023/24 campaign unbeaten, a feat never before achieved in the club’s history.
He also added the DFB-Pokal to his collection, making it a domestic double, and came within touching distance of a treble by guiding Leverkusen to the Europa League final, where they narrowly missed out on European glory.
With his tactical sharpness, calm authority, and modern approach to the game, Alonso is now set to return to Madrid not just as a club legend, but as its next architect.
FKA/MA