Xabi Alonso was considered one of the brightest young managers when he led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 season. He carefully stayed with Leverkusen for another season, holding out for the Real Madrid job.
It looked like the perfect time for Alonso to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, after just seven months in charge, his time in charge of Los Blancos is over. It appears harsh that Alonso has lost his job, after all, his side is only four points behind Barcelona in La Liga.
His tenure at Real Madrid has not come without its ups and downs. Not winning the Club World Cup was an early blot on his copybook. Winning their first six La Liga games of the season was tremendous. However, the 3-2 loss in the SuperCopa to Barcelona was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Alonso reportedly did not have the best relationship with many of his Real Madrid players. This is always going to make the job impossible in a dressing room full of stars. His time at Los Blancos will be deemed a failure, but there will still be top clubs interested in his services.
5 potential landing spots for Xabi Alonso after leaving Real Madrid
Liverpool
Many Liverpool fans wanted Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp. Arne Slot was instead Klopp's successor. Whilst Slot had success in his first season by winning the Premier League, his tenure has unravelled this campaign.
Liverpool is currently fourth in the league, 14 points behind the leaders, Arsenal. There are questions as to whether Slot is still the right man to manage Liverpool. If they are to make the change, then Alonso, who is also a former Reds player, will be high on their shortlist.
Whilst at Real Madrid, Alonso would have learned from his experience managing big egos such as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. He will face similar challenges at Liverpool, as they currently face a predicament involving Mohamed Salah's future at the club.
Liverpool also signed two of Alonso's former players last summer, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, from Leverkusen. Both players have struggled so far in the Premier League. However, Alonso could be the man to get the best out of them.
Spain
After what must have been an exhausting seven months in charge of Real Madrid, international soccer could be a good fit for Alonso. Spain is currently managed by Luis de la Fuente, who won them the European Championship.
De la Fuente will lead Spain at the World Cup this summer. However, La Roja may want a change after the tournament. Alonso won the World Cup and the Euros twice with Spain as a player, but it would be a challenge to replicate this success as a manager.
Bayern Munich
Alonso is also a former player of Bayern Munich, and he was linked with taking over the Bavarian club when he was with Leverkusen. Bayern are currently managed by Vincent Kompany, who got the job after Burnley's relegation from the Premier League.
Kompany has still managed to do an incredible job with Bayern, winning the Bundesliga last season and currently top and so far undefeated in the division this campaign. Bayern will not be looking to change coaches any time soon, so this would have to be a long-term ambition for Alonso.
Alonso knows the Bundesliga, having played in it and won it as a manager. The division is almost always won by Bayern, so it could be a straightforward way for Alonso to rebuild his reputation.
Manchester City
It is difficult to see Alonso managing a Premier League side other than Liverpool. However, Manchester City could be a good fit should Pep Guardiola move on. Alonso played under Guardiola at Bayern, so he could be a good successor.
Many believe that Guardiola has overstayed his welcome at City. They did not win anything last season and are currently trailing Arsenal in the Premier League. Guardiola has stayed at City longer than he did at Barcelona and Bayern, so it may be time for him to pass on the reins.
Juventus
After managing Real Madrid, there are only a few clubs that have a similar stature on the global stage. Juventus is still one of the biggest clubs in the world despite its underachievements in recent seasons.
Juve are currently fifth in Serie A, but only seven points off the leaders Inter Milan. The Old Lady does not tend to give managers much time in recent campaigns. Luciano Spalletti is their current boss, but it remains to be seen how long he will stay in the job.
Juventus' managerial turnover could be a red flag for Alonso. However, he could also embrace the challenge of returning the club to its former glories in an attempt to rebuild his reputation.