Alonso talks Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius, Modric, Mastantuono ahead of Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso addressed the media for the first time in the United States ahead of his debut in the Club World Cup.

The press conference took place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where his side will face Al-Hilal.

Alonso made it clear that this is just the beginning of his journey with Real Madrid and that there are still many things to figure out.

A big part of that is shaping the attacking quartet, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius and Jr. Rodrygo, or “BMVR” as it is now being called.

He touched on where Bellingham fits best, the progress of injured stars like Mbappé and Rüdiger, and his first impressions of players like Vinicius and Mastantuono.

Bellingham’s role and Rodrygo’s reset

Jude Bellingham will play a different role under Xabi Alonso. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Alonso highlighted Bellingham’s versatility, saying, “Jude covers a lot of ground. He’s a midfielder at heart but has an eye for goal. The key is to get him into the right areas.”

On Rodrygo, Alonso revealed that the Brazilian had a tough end to last season but returned with new energy.

“I know the end of the season wasn’t easy for him, but he took some important time to reset. It wasn’t with the national team either.

“We’ve been talking from the very beginning… and I see him eager. He’s a player with enormous quality, we’ve shared things, and it’s time to put them into practice.”

As for Mbappe, Alonso said the Frenchman is improving but not fit enough to train. “We will decide tomorrow. He’s close, but we don’t want to risk anything,” he added.

However, he did note that “Rudiger made a tremendous recovery; he’s the first, the idea is that he’ll probably be in the second game. The others need a little more time.”

On Vinicius and Mastantuono

Alonso is impressed with Vinicius’ attitude. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Meeting Vinicius for the first time left a strong impression on Alonso. “You can feel his energy immediately. He’s passionate and emotional. I love that,” he said.

The coach also praised new signing Franco Mastantuono for his maturity and ambition. “We’re happy; he has a fantastic present and an incredible future.

“I was impressed by the conversations I had with him, with his ambition and maturity, and things with him don’t happen by chance.

“We’ll have him in August, and he’ll be a very important acquisition for the squad.”

Alonso spoke warmly about Luka Modric too. “With him, it’s easy. We’re friends, and now I’m his coach. He’s great with the younger players, and having him around for a bit longer is a blessing.”

On Guler, Endrick and right-back role

Alonso will give time to Guler and Endrick. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

He also discussed how young talents like Arda Guler and Endrick will need time to adapt, just like Modric did in his first season.

“The adaptation process takes time. Even Luka struggled, as he improved greatly in his first year. It’s a natural process. This second year, more will come in.”

Lastly, on the right-back situation, Alonso said he feels lucky to have both Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold.

“It’s a privilege to have such top players. Trent is more flexible in positions, but Carvajal has a personality and competitiveness. Alexander-Arnold’s initial impact is very positive,” he concluded.

Source: AS