🆕 Real, it’s Xabi Alonso Day! "An honour, Vini, Mbappé and Ancelotti 👑..." | OneFootball

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

It is Xabi Alonso's day at Real Madrid. Today, in fact, the biggest club in the world officially presented the new coach to the press, the one who will take over the reins from His Majesty Carlo Ancelotti.

Not an easy task, in short, but from the Spanish capital, they are convinced that there is no better profile than the now former Bayer Leverkusen coach to chase Flick's Barcelona.

🎙️ Xabi's Press Conference Begins

After the earlier presentation, it's now time for Xabi Alonso's press conference.

"It's a very exciting day, one to remember. I think there's only one time in life when you can coach Real Madrid, and today is the first day. I feel pride, responsibility, and energy. I can't wait to start a new chapter. Our duty is to always want to improve. The team is very good, and I can't wait to start working with them. Fear of replacing Ancelotti? No, absolutely not. Obviously, the goals in Madrid are at the highest level, and you have to accept that. But it's a very beautiful challenge, and we can do things that excite people. We're here for that".

Xabi then began to talk about tactics:

"I have analyzed how the team played, how the players are... As coaches, we depend on the players, and I think they are of a very high level here. The challenge is to make a team, bring out the potential of these players, and ensure everyone is united. If we succeed, we'll go far. Club World Cup? It's the first edition, and there's a desire to do well. Today's football requires you to be flexible and dynamic. It requires you to know how to move the pieces. I have an idea of how we want to play, but the system framework can change. I want the team to convey emotions, energy, play ambitiously, and connect with the people. The symbiosis we're looking for is fundamental for the phase to start well. I like to improve everyone's potential to make the pieces fit".

On Modric's departure and the coexistence between Vinicius and Mbappé:

"Since yesterday, I consider myself the coach of Real Madrid. I felt that energy, that excitement when it was made official. Today, much more. The next step is to be with the players. I've already been with some of them, with others I will have to be. But I already feel it. Modric? With Luka, I'm not very objective because we were teammates, and when he arrived, there was chemistry. He became the conductor, he was a great legend. Seeing the farewell the other day makes you proud. I was with him not long ago. I will have the fortune to coach him at the World Cup, it will be a privilege. Vini and Mbappé? It's a fortune to have players of that level. Not just those two, but many others. They are different, they make a difference, and we have to get everything from them. I have ideas. There's still time before meeting them. But for me, it's very important to communicate what we want. They are high-level players, and this is my task.

Ending with two questions about players who have performed below expectations this year.

"Rodrygo? He is a Real Madrid player, and I will talk to everyone who is a Real Madrid player. They deserve it, and we need them. Rodrygo is a spectacular player, we will need him. Bellingham? He can be special anywhere because he is a special player. He is 21 years old and will be fundamental for the future projects of this club. It's a good time to work with him. I see him as a midfielder. We will try to make him as efficient as possible".

📲 The Players' Reception

Meanwhile, reactions from Real Madrid players have started to emerge on social media. This is the post published by Arda Guler on X

🙂 Flick: "I'm happy he's here"

The Barcelona coach, the German Hansi Flick, was asked about Xabi Alonso's arrival on the Real Madrid bench. These are his words about the former Bayern Munich player:

"He arrives in a league he knows well, but where they also know what philosophy he brings with him. I spoke to him when he was working at Leverkusen, I talked to him many times. I like him. I know his philosophy, and it's really valid. It's fantastic to see the success he had in Germany, at a very high level with a team like Leverkusen. Moreover, the players have improved a lot under his guidance, and yes, I'm pleased to see him here. I'm happy he's here".

👑 Xabi Alonso: "Ancelotti's Legacy, an Honor"

After the president, it's Xabi Alonso's turn, who thanked Florentino Perez and spoke for the first time as the coach of the Blancos:

"Without a doubt, this is a very special day for me. A day that I will have marked on my calendar for my entire life. I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home. The bond with madridismo has never ceased to exist, and since I entered Valdebebas an hour and a half ago, this feeling has been reborn. I feel that this is the beginning of a new era. Florentino, thank you very much for the trust. I feel that the fans, the madridistas, are excited to start this new phase, to grow and make the history of this club even greater. Thanks also to my family, who is always with me".

Xabi then reserved some kind words for Carlo Ancelotti, his former coach:

"Before starting to talk about the new adventure, I would like to say something about what has just ended. Carlo was my coach, a great person, and a great influence. Without his mastery, I probably wouldn't be here. I take his place and gather his legacy with much honor and pride. I hope to live up to expectations and bring the club where we all believe it should be. A period begins where I feel the club and the fans are united. We have a great team, we have fantastic players, and great potential. This gives me reason to come here with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We have the conviction that we can achieve important goals, worthy of Real Madrid. We want the fans to be proud and for people to go to the stadium to have fun. If we manage to ignite this fire, we will have an unstoppable force. We are convinced we can do beautiful things. Thank you very much, Hala Madrid".

🤝 Florentino Perez: "Welcome to One of Our Own"

The press conference for the presentation of Xabi Alonso began with a tribute video to the next Real coach. Then, the president of the Merengues, Florentino Perez, took the floor:

"Madridismo is something that is cultivated every day. Real Madrid belongs to the heart of the people because this emblem represents the values that are worked on every day here. The values that have been necessary to achieve a record that is hard to match and to have lived, in recent years, one of the most successful periods in our history. The strength of this club is to continue working to realize the dreams of madridismo. That's why today is a very special day. A coach has arrived who is one of the best in the world and who knows what Real Madrid is, what this jersey means. Today we welcome one of our own: Xabi Alonso.

The president then added:

"Dear Xabi, welcome to your home, welcome to Real Madrid. I'm sure today you're experiencing a very exciting moment. You showed it when you arrived in 2009 to defend this jersey. You won six titles that are already part of Real Madrid's history. You are also one of the great legends of the Spanish national team, with which you won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships. Today, however, you return home. We all knew what your destiny would be when, in 2018, you sat down to coach the Infantil A team. You achieved a milestone that is already history in German football: winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. This path has made you one of the greatest figures in football and one of the best coaches in the world. Today you return to Madrid as the first team's coach to face one of the greatest challenges of your life.

You know how demanding this club is, but I'm sure we will share many joys. Dear Xabi: welcome to your home, welcome to Real Madrid.".

⏱️ The Schedule

At 12:00, the contract signing will take place, in the presence of Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.

Half an hour later, the presentation will begin, and at around 13:30, Xabi Alonso will hold his first press conference as the coach of Real Madrid.