Real Madrid on the verge of significant managerial change
Photo Credit: Marca.com
After a down year that saw the reigning UEFA Champions League winners crash out of the competition in the quarterfinals to Arsenal and lose the Copa Del Rey final to rivals Barcelona, significant managerial changes are coming for Real Madrid.
Following Sunday’s El Clásico loss to Barcelona, which all but put the LaLiga title out of reach for Real Madrid, news of a change in manager started to circulate.
Having won the league title and the Champions League last year, along with signing world-class forward Kylian Mbappe, this season’s expectations were high for the Spanish giants. Once April ended, the second-to-last month of the season, it had all come crashing down for Real Madrid. They were knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals with relative ease, and a week later blew a late lead in the Copa Del Rey Final, ultimately losing in extra time. Not to mention, Real Madrid is seven points behind Barcelona, whom they lost to four times this season, with three LaLiga games left.
With many high-profile defeats and a failure to secure a major trophy, pressure was mounting against those in charge of one of the sport’s most historic clubs. Rumors had been flying around for some time about the impending departure of two-time Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. The 65-year-old Italian is lauded as one of soccer’s best managers. He has taken charge of many European powerhouses, including Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, and Bayern Munich. Since his managerial career began in 1995, Ancelotti has won the Champions League five times, the FIFA Club World Cup three times, and is the only manager to win league titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues. In two stints with Real Madrid (2013-15, 2021-present), Ancelotti won the Champions League three times and the LaLiga title twice.
On Monday, it was confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation that Ancelotti would be the next coach of the Brazil national team, starting in late May. Ancelotti’s new role would force him to say goodbye to Real Madrid for a second time. While the Spanish side has not announced Ancelotti’s departure, it is reported that the Italian will manage the final three games of the season before leaving.
“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to lead Brazil is more than a strategic move,” said Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation. “It’s a statement to the world that we are determined to regain the top spot on the podium. He is the greatest coach in history, and now he is in charge of the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write glorious new chapters for Brazilian soccer.”
Rodrigues also thanked Real Madrid president Florentino Perez for his cooperation in the negotiations and for allowing Ancelotti to be released to Brazil while still under contract.
Now, Perez needs to decide who the next manager of Real Madrid will be. As of Monday morning, his intentions on hiring former Real Madrid player Xabi Alonso as manager were clear, per numerous sources. While the team has not made an official announcement about Ancelotti’s departure and Alonso’s arrival, they are expected to be made soon.
With one of the greatest managers in the sport walking out, one of the most promising managers in the sport is walking in.
Alonso played six seasons for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2015, playing under the leadership of Ancelotti during the manager’s first stint with the club. He started 188 games and logged 16,883 minutes in all competitions with Real Madrid. The two-time Champions League winner won a LaLiga title and Champions League trophy during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. The defensive midfielder was an integral piece during Spain’s World Cup triumph in 2010.
Alonso’s success as a player has translated to his success as a coach.
Alonso is one year removed from winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the first team in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten during an entire season. This was Leverkusen’s first major trophy since 1993, they also won the German Cup that season. Alonso led his team on a 51-match unbeaten streak that was ended by Atalanta in last year’s Europa League Final. The year before, Alonso’s first in charge, he took Leverkusen from the relegation zone when he took over in October 2022 to a sixth-place finish and a spot in the Europa League by season’s end.
After one of the most successful coaching seasons in 2023-24 - he only made his professional coaching debut with Real Sociedad in 2019 - Alonso was being targeted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, three of them being his former teams. Despite an opening at Liverpool, the team where Alonso won his first Champions League, he decided to stay in Germany and extend his contract with Leverkusen. With one match left in the 2024-25 Bundesliga season, Leverkusen secured second place and a Champions League position for next season. Leverkusen exited the Champions League in the Round of 16 at the hands of German rivals and this year’s Bundesliga winners, Bayern Munich.
Before Leverkusen’s final home game of the season this past weekend, Alonso announced that he would be leaving his managerial position.
“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved here, and I’m grateful for everything we’ve done,” Xabi Alonso said. “I’ll always have very fond memories of my time at Bayern 04, because I was able to develop as a coach here.
“The team, the staff, and every single player put their trust in me; they believed in me and my ideas. That was crucial for me and my journey here.”
Despite a 4-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund, Alonso was serenaded by the Leverkusen supporters in an emotional farewell.
While Alonso has not specifically mentioned where he is going, reports suggest a deal has been agreed to between him and the club, with an official announcement to be made soon, especially with Ancelotti leaving and Real Madrid’s quest for another Club World Cup starting next month.
