Xabi Alonso at Real: Genius Appointment or Big Mistake?

It’s official — Xabi Alonso is coming home. The former midfield maestro will take over as Real Madrid’s head coach starting June 2025. The big question now: can he manage the most star-studded squad in Europe?

Why Alonso Might Succeed at Real

Alonso’s coaching credentials are already historic. In his very first full season in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, he delivered an invincible Bundesliga title — a feat previously unimaginable for a club long seen as a perennial underachiever. Even in the following season, with increased pressure and expectation, Alonso’s Bayer lost just two league games, proving he wasn’t a one-hit wonder.

Crucially, Alonso feels like a natural fit for Real Madrid. He’s a club legend with immense respect in the locker room and has already worked within the Real system earlier in his coaching career. At Leverkusen, he showed an impressive ability to adapt his style to the strengths of key players — developing Florian Wirtz into a world-class playmaker, reinvigorating Granit Xhaka, and unlocking the attacking potential of Alejandro Grimaldo.

Given his tactical intelligence and elite playing pedigree, Alonso may have the gravitas and understanding needed to command respect in a dressing room full of Galácticos.

Why Alonso Might Struggle

But success is far from guaranteed. For starters, Alonso’s preferred formation — 3-4-2-1 — is a significant departure from Real Madrid’s traditional setups. This system demands intense pressing and off-the-ball work, something that Los Blancos haven’t consistently embraced in recent years.

There’s also the ever-present injury crisis. Real Madrid already struggles with an overloaded medical room season after season — and Alonso’s high-intensity approach could further strain the squad's physical limits.

Another concern is psychological. Madrid’s recent golden era has been shaped by coaches who focused on man-management over tactics. Both Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti thrived by empowering their stars and fostering a winning mentality, not by reinventing the tactical wheel.

Lastly, Alonso has never worked with superstar egos on the scale of Vinícius Jr. or Kylian Mbappé. Managing top talent is a different game — and it remains to be seen whether Alonso can balance tactics and temperament at this level.

Alonso’s return to the Bernabéu is a romantic and ambitious move. His coaching rise has been meteoric, but the Real Madrid job is unlike any other. If he can combine his tactical vision with strong man-management, he might just lead Madrid into a new era. If not, even legends can fall.

Published by Patrick Jane
13.05.2025