Xabi Alonso appointed as Real Madrid manager on three-year contract

Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Real Madrid’s new manager on a three-year contract. The Spaniard and former Madrid midfielder, who announced he was leaving Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month, will replace Carlo Ancelotti, who is becoming Brazil’s first foreign heach coach.

In a statement, Madrid said it “announces that Xabi Alonso will be Real Madrid’s manager for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028. Xabi Alonso is one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid and world football.”

As a player, Alonso played 236 matches, winning the Champions League, La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, the European Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup. He memorably helmed Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season, and now returns to Spain, in the words of Madrid, “as one of the best coaches in the world”.

Alonso will be officially unveiled as the new manager on Monday.

This story will be updated