3 things for Xabi Alonso to ponder at Real Madrid
MADRID: Xabi Alonso is returning to Real Madrid with the former midfielder taking over as coach from Carlo Ancelotti and leading the team at the upcoming Club World Cup. AFP Sport looks at three areas the 43-year-old Spaniard will have to think about in the weeks and months ahead as he tries to plot a course back towards major trophies, with Los Blancos ending this season empty-handed.
Restore the balance
Alonso's predecessor Ancelotti spent much of the last season complaining his team was unbalanced and also lacked 'collective commitment'. In short, the squad had too many attackers he felt he had to cram onto the field, while injuries left the defence in tatters and Madrid did not sign someone to replace midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired last summer.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe's arrival at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract in 2024 was the big change for a Madrid side that won a Champions League and La Liga double. For a while he and Vinicius Junior struggled to play together, occupying the same spaces, and even though Mbappe grew comfortable down the middle, netting 43 goals across all competitions, their dual presence cost Madrid defensively.
Alonso has to work out a way for the pair to work in tandem while still pressing effectively and making sure Madrid are not outnumbered when on the back foot. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric's departure after the Club World Cup means Alonso will be losing yet more poise, technique and wisdom from the midfield. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach has largely used a 3-4-3 formation which could suit Madrid's squad, particularly with the expected arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool and a deal already done for Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.
Handle the superstars
If there was one particular task Ancelotti excelled at, it was keeping a dressing room full of big names and big egos happy. Ancelotti managed to get the best out of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale in his first spell at the Santiago Bernabeu and then helped turn Vinicius into a superstar in his second.
The Italian coach would sometimes baulk at suggestions he was a good man manager but not a tactical mastermind, but it should not be underestimated how important it is to keep people onside at Madrid.
That includes president Florentino Perez, the star players, and even the media, all of whom Ancelotti handled supremely well. Alonso has an aura about him which could help in the same way it did for Zinedine Zidane, another former Madrid player who thrived at the helm.
Stopping rampant Barca
One of the nails in Ancelotti's coffin at Madrid was the way his team collapsed against their arch-rivals in all four Clasicos this season. Barcelona romped to a 4-0 win in La Liga in October to embarrass Madrid on home soil and lay down a marker of how the season was going to go. Their 4-3 victory in the return league match was what effectively dethroned Madrid and took the Spanish crown back to Catalonia—and the score could have been wider without being unfair to Los Blancos.
Barcelona also beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final as they completed a domestic treble and left Madrid reeling.
Ancelotti's side could not cope with Hansi Flick's high defensive line and relentless pressing, and Alonso will already be studying the German's set-up to make sure Madrid fare far better next season in the crunch clashes. — AFP
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