Real Madrid 'monitoring Xabi Alonso progress at Bayer Leverkusen'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 15 October 2022

Real Madrid are reportedly keeping a close eye on Xabi Alonso's performance at Bayer Leverkusen as they plan for life without Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid are reportedly keeping a close eye on how Xabi Alonso performs at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bundesliga giants parted ways with Gerardo Seoane earlier this month, with Alonso taking control of the reins on a two-year deal until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The 40-year-old previously worked as a youth team coach at Real Madrid before spending three years as manager of Real Sociedad B, and his first game in charge of Leverkusen ended in a 4-0 win over Schalke.

However, Alonso's side then fell to a 3-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League in midweek, and they were thumped 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday's Bundesliga clash.

According to ESPN, Real Madrid will be monitoring Alonso's progress in Germany, with Los Blancos potentially viewing the Spaniard as a successor to Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti on August 20, 2022 © Reuters

Four-time Champions League winner Ancelotti is out of contract at the Bernabeu in the summer of 2024, and the 63-year-old has said that he will retire from management once his time in the Spanish capital is up, but that could be much later than 2024.

"After this period at Real Madrid it is likely that I will retire. But if Real Madrid want me to be here for another 10 years, I'll be here for another 10 years," Ancelotti told Amazon Prime Video.

"I would like to be with my grandchildren, to be on holiday with my wife. There are so many things to do that I've had to put aside. There's a lot of places I've never been to.

"I've never been to Australia. I've never been to Rio de Janeiro. I want to go visit my sister more often. Unfortunately you can't do everything, so the day I retire, I'll have all these things to do."

Real Madrid supposedly believe that Alonso fits the profile of coach that will be required at the Bernabeu after Ancelotti's departure, with the former midfielder learning from a wealth of esteemed managers.

Xabi Alonso is unveiled as Bayer Leverkusen coach on October 6, 2022 © Reuters

Alonso has spent time under the tutelage of Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola during his career and was on the books at Real Madrid as a player for five years between 2009 and 2014.

The former Spain international left Liverpool for £31m to join Los Blancos 13 years ago, and he recorded six goals and 31 assists in 236 appearances for the club in all tournaments.

Alonso won six major trophies with Real Madrid, including one La Liga title and one Champions League crown, and he spent three more years at Bayern Munich before retiring in 2017.

Alonso is not the only ex-Real Madrid man to be under consideration for the Bernabeu job, as former striker Raul is supposedly being sounded out as another candidate.

The 45-year-old has been in charge of Real Madrid Castilla since 2019, winning 40 of his 98 matches, and his contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign.