After the FIFA international break, Xabi Alonso made a major media appearance this Thursday to discuss his future. Whether to move to Real Madrid or stay at Bayer Leverkusen, the Spanish manager put things into context.
Announced as the main successor to Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of Real Madrid at the end of the season, Xabi Alonso was presented this week as being likely to remain at Bayer Leverkusen for another season. At the end of this season, where the future of the current 65-year-old Italian manager is at stake, the German media BILD cooled Madrid fans by reporting that Alonso was looking for an apartment in Düsseldorf and should not be leaving. Against all expectations, the 43-year-old manager broke his silence.
Xabi Alonso doesn’t close the door to Real this summer
Although he is under contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2026, Xabi Alonso refuses to confirm the information from BILD, which claims he does not want to leave. In front of the press on Thursday, the Basque coach, who has already proven he remains one of the best tacticians of the moment, kept the suspense high on what will happen this summer.
“There is nothing to decide. It was a good rest period (the international break). My goal and that of all the players is not to think about anything else. We must take the matches one by one,” said Xabi, disappointing some journalists who hoped to know more about his intentions. “My thoughts are still the same. I remain focused on this season, we are in a key phase. We don’t want to speculate on anything other than football,” he added, in comments relayed by Marca.
When a journalist mentioned his decision in March 2024 to stay in Germany, Xabi Alonso once again dodged the question: “The situation was different. There was a decision to be made, now there isn’t. That’s the difference.” This is a statement that leaves the question of the coaching staff for next season’s Real Madrid in total suspense.
A statement that gives Madrid hope
In recent hours, the future of Carlo Ancelotti has been fervently discussed, especially with Brazil’s renewed interest in hiring him to coach the Seleção. According to the latest reports, everything will be decided after the Club World Cup at the end of July.
If Real Madrid has poor results in the competitions they are engaged in, including La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, or the Club World Cup, Florentino Pérez could make a managerial change. Despite his contract running until June 2026, the Italian coach is not at all assured of continuing his journey at the helm of the Madrid team due to several reasons. This season, the Madrid players have not been performing consistently. In big matches, the lack of tactical ideas or game plans has been strongly felt.
With Xabi Alonso’s statement, it seems likely that there has been contact with the top executive at the Santiago Bernabéu. Refusing to confirm his intentions before the end of the season, the former Real Madrid midfielder is also waiting to know Ancelotti’s decision before deciding on his own future. If he arrives in Madrid this summer, Alonso would bring a lot of freshness to a team that is very young.
In your opinion, who would be the best manager for Real Madrid next season?
Leave a Reply