Will the club provide the necessary players for the new coach? Will the coach continue to apply the styles he used at Leverkusen in Madrid?
The Madrid club Real has officially announced an agreement with Xabi Alonso. The Spanish coach will manage the team until 2028 and will officially start his job as a coach during the World Championship among clubs that will begin in June.
Quotes
“...I have returned home. The ties with this club have never been broken, and my feelings came alive with my return to Valdebebas”
“...I came here not with my demands, but to work together as a team”
“...I want people to look at our game and say, this is a real team, and hope to rush to the stadium to enjoy” (Xabi Alonso)
“We knew where you would be when you were managing Real's youth team in 2018. Right here. This is your destiny” (Florentino Perez)
Inevitable Event
Xabi Alonso and Real seemed to be a matter of time, and so it turned out. It is natural that his shared past with Real has brought both sides closer together – Xabi had stipulated in negotiations with Bayer that if offers came from clubs he had played for, they would be considered favorably, as you read above in Florentino Perez's words.
If Perez spoke about the years 2018-19, it can be said that during these six years, both Real and Alonso took the necessary steps for this meeting. After leaving Madrid, Xabi managed the youth team of Sociedad for three years, and in 2022, he took over the management of Bayer, which was struggling at the bottom of the table. In a short time, he turned the Leverkusen team into a contender, and then into the Bundesliga champion. It was this championship that led to discussions about coach Alonso in the highest circles starting from last season. Liverpool, Bayern, Real, and several other top clubs lined up to offer Alonso a position. These were the steps Alonso took towards Real, as in football, if you are the best, Real awaits you. In short, the successful Xabi Alonso at Bayer was like a gun hanging on the wall in Chekhov's stories, and it was only a matter of when it would fire, meaning when the coach would appear in Madrid.
Real, on the other hand, grew tired of fighting against systematic football. While other top clubs were pondering various tactics and systems, Real continued to manifest itself as the most successful club year after year in the simplest way, which would also create additional uniqueness for Madrid. However, last season, this approach began to show that it might not always yield results. Until now, Real has relied on individual skills, as well as on combinations like Kroos – Modric, Vinicius – Mbappe, but replacing those who have left year after year has become increasingly difficult. Because both Modric and Kroos or Benzema are unique in their own right, and their departure naturally pulls something from the team game. Always being in search, trying to replace individual stars is both costly and does not always work. Naturally, Florentino Perez began to feel the need for a systematic team that could work like clockwork and could last for many years with minor adjustments.
Alonso is the ideal candidate for this. He is known for his own system and style, has shown results, and at the same time, as a personality, he is just right – a fan favorite, with vast experience as a player, having played alongside almost all stars, meaning he knows how to communicate with the new generation of stars.
Moreover, especially in the early seasons, a quality that will be needed is sufficient adaptability. He played under the pragmatist king Jose Mourinho and the tactician Pep Guardiola during his playing days, gaining the necessary skills.
3-4-3 – the new Real?
Recently, even some serious publications have begun to express some anxious thoughts. This is related to Alonso's tactical scheme. Xabi is a young coach with only two years of experience in big football at Bayer, and importantly, all his successes are related to the 3-4-3 scheme. Is a more complicated era coming for Real players, who are not accustomed to specific tactical molds? Especially considering Ruben Amorim's problems at MU, the situation becomes even more significant, as it is said that transitioning from a four-defender setup to a three-defender setup is a painful process.
Let's take a look at Real's squad and speculate on what problems might arise if Alonso wants to implement his best-known style.
Central Defense: I believe that three central defenders can easily be found in Real. Players like Alaba and Rudiger could even lead forward, which might lead to the conclusion that they are more suitable for the 3-4-3 Real defense.
Wing Players: This is the first problem. Players who can be equally useful in both attack and defense are needed. In this scheme, wing players should not centralize but expand the field, meaning they should play more on the wings, which makes it difficult to use Valverde and Kamavinga as they are now.
Anchor Zone: Players who can fight for the ball and have good passing abilities are needed. I think the most complete position would be with players like Sebalios, Valverde, Bellingham, Kamavinga, and Tchuameni.
Attacking Midfielders: Usually, at Bayer, two “tens” play behind a clear striker. For example, Virs is an ideal player for this scheme. He should not only be quick and capable of dribbling but also be skilled in sharp passes and have the ability to control the game. In Real, neither Vini, nor Rodri, nor Dias fully fit this profile. They can play differently from two “tens,” but the second player definitely needs to be of the right type. From the current squad, only Arda Guler can be shaped into the necessary player. However, how ready Guler is remains unanswered this season.
Striker: In this system, Kylian Mbappe can be more useful than any striker. But there is one important aspect. In this system, the striker must always be ready to open up in the penalty area at the right time, always prepared to finish. There is no requirement to participate in combinations. If Alonso's system can create 3-4 situations for Mbappe in every game, meaning if Mbappe scores 1-2 goals in every game, then for that statistic, he might agree to the given role, not chasing dribbling or beautiful goals. For example, after losing his speed and dribbling, the evening Ronaldo adapted and became a clear striker. Although he no longer played “for pleasure,” the number of goals served as compensation. Or take Erling Haaland, who came to Manchester. Once, he touched the ball 9 times throughout the game and scored 3 goals. If Mbappe agrees to score rather than play football, he can easily become a machine.
Thus, Real must be active in the transfer market this summer, acquiring at least two players for the wings and at least one attacking midfielder.
Xabi Alonso is indeed a very adaptable coach, and it has often been said that his main success lies in creating a system based on existing performers. However, it should also be acknowledged that he is not as experienced in this regard as Ancelotti. Yes, at Bayer, he may have chosen the 3-4-3 scheme based on the squad at that time, and it is a fact that he successfully played with four defenders in some big games (against Bayern, Borussia, Inter), but as a top coach, long-term successes are still related to the 3-4-3, and while Alonso may show himself in other conditions and schemes, we do not know for sure yet.
Transfers
Another aspect that is changing with Xabi Alonso's arrival at Real is the transfer policy. Until now, Florentino Perez would buy any player he wanted, serving the image and financial revenues of Real, and it would be entirely the coach's responsibility to adapt them to the squad and how to use them. Therefore, for example, even though players like Kamavinga and Tchuameni are quite talented, they have not had a typical place in Real, mainly focusing on closing gaps.
Most likely, Alonso will not accept this. The young coach will need players of a certain profile for his system to work, and it is natural for him to ask the management to provide them. It is undoubtedly agreed upon in negotiations.
Xabi Alonso's first transfer in Madrid is Din Hausen. The 20-year-old central defender has become one of the discoveries of the EPL. He can control the ball well, has top-level vision, and can deliver the ball over various distances. He will undoubtedly be one of the key figures in initiating attacks and generally in long-lasting “Alonso-style” build-ups.
The second transfer is also precisely for the defensive line – Trent Alexander-Arnold. This player does not need much introduction. After the Portugal Cup final, Real began negotiations with Benfica for Alvaro Carreras for the left wing. The 22-year-old player is actually a product of Madrid, having trained at Castilla from 2017-20 before heading to the Manchester academy.
Another player Real is considering is Angelo Stiller. The 24-year-old central midfielder has been under the watchful eye of top clubs for several years. This season, he has been among the best in several statistics in both the Bundesliga and the top five leagues while playing for Stuttgart. It is said that Stiller was recommended to the team by Toni Kroos.
Real may also fight for Martin Subimendi, who is said to be almost in agreement with Arsenal. We must not forget that Xabi Alonso once promoted Subimendi from Sociedad's youth team to the first team.
If you pay attention, these names are mainly players who are skilled at controlling the ball and making elite-level passes. Especially Trent, Hausen, and Stiller. At the same time, there will be problems physically in closing large zones and in one-on-one duels. Just as Kroos has always supported Casemiro, and Bellingham has always supported Valverde, it is very important for these players to have a suitable system and necessary conditions. It can be anticipated that the importance of hardworking players like Tchuameni and Valverde will also be significant in building Alonso's system.
Additionally, it has become known that Xabi Alonso is in favor of returning Niko Paz, a Real academy graduate who has been playing on loan at Como. Although the Italians are reportedly pleased with Niko and are asking to extend the loan for another year, the coach wants to use Niko Paz in place of Luka Modric, who has left the team. In general, wherever Xabi works, he tends to focus more on youth and actively involves them in the squad. This is particularly relevant for young players like Endrik and Guler, who are not getting enough opportunities.
Moreover, during the press conference, Alonso spoke a lot about the future, sharing thoughts that Bellingham will remain one of the key figures in the team, that Vinicius and Mbappe playing together is not a problem, and that Rodrigo is not going anywhere.
Conclusion
No matter how many assumptions are made, regardless of the various opinions about Real's strengthening or regression, the team will be different in the new season. Especially, Alonso's reliance on dynamic football, the balance between active pressing and ball control, is known to be close to coaches like Flick and Slot, and Alonso will not abandon these fundamental principles in Madrid. After all, he is coming to Madrid not to abandon them but to showcase his ideas on a larger stage with bigger players.
Thus, this is excellent news for football. It is difficult to say who will win the Champions League now, how the fate of the classics will change, but one thing is clear – everything will be even more interesting.
