At the start of the 2021/22 season, Real Madrid raised some eyebrows with their decision to bring back head coach Carlo Ancelotti to replace the departing Zinedine Zidane. Many thought the Italian was heading towards the end of his legendary coaching career and was past his prime. At that point, he was managing Everton in the Premier League.
However, since returning to Real Madrid, Ancelotti has proven to the world that Los Blancos made the right decision in bringing him back, He has guided the team to ten total trophies including two La Liga titles and two Champions League winning campaigns.
That being said, Ancelotti is obviously getting older. And the Italian manager has hinted in the past that he wants to end his coaching career at Real Madrid.
So, the club need to start looking for Ancelotti's long-term successor. They seem to be doing exactly that and already have their eyes set on one of Europe's top managers.
Alonso appears to have made Real Madrid return decision
As reported by BILD (via beIN Sports), Xabi Alonso appears to be edging closer to his dream of managing Real Madrid. He rejected offers from clubs like Liverpool and Bayern Munich this summer, with his eyes set on a future role at the Santiago Bernabeu. If Ancelotti opts not to continue beyond 2025, the club would likely pursue the Spaniard, who is contracted with Bayer Leverkusen until 2026. However, the German newspaper suggests that it wouldn’t be far-fetched for him to leave early if the opportunity to coach Los Blancos arises.
Alonso took European football by storm last season, leading his Bayer Leverkusen side to an invincible Bundesliga title win as well as silverware in the DFB Pokal. The Spaniard also guided them to the Europa League final but unexpectedly lost to Atalanta by a 3-0 scoreline.
Alonso has made his name as a coach by playing a high-flying style of football, which could suit Real Madrid perfectly. Now, let's see if he does eventually end up in the Santiago Bernabeu hot seat.