Real Madrid confirms appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager
LaLiga club Real Madrid confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as its head coach on Sunday.
Alonso's contract will run till 2028. 'Real Madrid CF announces that Xabi Alonso will be Real Madrid's manager for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028,' the Spanish side said in a statement.
More to follow...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Spain vs France LIVE streaming info, UEFA Nations League: Where to watch ESP v FRA semifinal clash; Predicted XI
A UEFA Nations League final against Portugal is up for grabs as France takes on defending champion Spain in their semifinal clash at the MPHArena on Thursday (June 6 in IST). Seven French players and one Spanish player were involved as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday. Spain's Fabián Ruiz is likely to start in midfield despite starring in midfield for PSG. France players Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaïre-Emery all helped PSG end its long wait to lift the Champions League trophy. READ MORE | Nations League semifinals preview LIVESTREAM AND TELECAST INFO When will the UEFA Nations League semifinal clash between Spain and France kick off? The UEFA Nations League semifinal clash between Spain and France will kick off at 12:30 AM IST, on Friday, June 6 at the MPHArena in Stuttgart. Where to watch the UEFA Nations League semifinal clash between Spain and France? The UEFA Nations League semifinal clash between Spain and France will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network. The match will also be livestreamed on the SonyLiv app and website. PREDICTED LINEUPS Spain: Unai Simon (gk), Mingueza, Cubarsi, Huijsen, Cucurella, Pedri, Ruiz, Yamal, Olmo, Williams, Morata France: Maignan (gk), Kalulu, Konate, Lenglet, T. Hernandez, Kone, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Doue, Mbappe
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Champions League final — How PSG shed it's superstar tag to win the UCL
What does it take to cruise a car to victory? A good engine, reliable tyres and a dependable cooling system — perhaps. But most importantly, it needs efficient fuel and a proven driver. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) implemented the theory with precision on a Saturday (June 1) night when it obliterated Inter Milan 5-0 to win its maiden UEFA Champions League (UCL). That too, without the on-paper formidable trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and its record goalscorer Kylian Mbappe. Inter's former full-back Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring and Desire Doue netted a brace, as the French league champion secured the biggest-ever win in a UCL final — all of it under the treble-winning Spanish wizard named Luis Enrique. But before Enrique, PSG followed a slightly different script. An assembly of Galacticos Bought by Qatari Emir Tamim Al Thani in 2011 for €100 million, PSG returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2004 in 2012. With stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the then-record signing Edinson Cavani, PSG started winning domestic trophies consistently over the next decade. It won 36 trophies, including 11 of the 13 Ligue 1 titles. For fans outside France with limited football knowledge, PSG was the only club that mattered. But without much resistance, the crown grew hollow. The owners wanted more — the pinnacle of European club football: the Champions League. Meetings were held, new managers were signed, and transfer records were shattered. (L - R) PSG managed to assemble superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe but failed to achieve its raison d'etre: the UCL. | Photo Credit: Getty Images The existing stars, Ibrahimovic and Cavani, were replaced by bigger names — Neymar, the most expensive transfer of all time (€222 million), and Mbappe, the second-most expensive transfer to date at €180 million. The moves eventually bore fruit: PSG reached the UCL final for the first time in 2020, where it lost to Bayern Munich. Defeat festered into discord. Coaches came and went, legends departed, yet PSG clung to its Galácticos doctrine. Serial UCL winner Sergio Ramos joined in 2021, and within a month, Messi completed the holy trinity of modern-day PSG attack, along with Neymar and Mbappe. But only two Round of 16 exits followed. PSG remained the perpetual dreamer, the Sisyphus of the football world, pushing the boulder uphill. The Enrique project For solutions, the club signed Enrique as manager, someone who had won the treble with Barcelona nearly a decade ago. His philosophy was clear: dismantle the cult of individualism and forge a collective ethos with those desperate to prove their worth. So much so that the biggest transfer under him, Randal Kolo Muani (from Eintracht Frankfurt for €95 million), was loaned to Juventus because he fell out of Enrique's plans. In his first year, the coach tried to get the club's blue-eyed boy, Mbappe, to buy into his vision. In a video of one of his individual sessions with the star forward, Enrique's mandate was quite evident: play as a unit, no matter what your position is. "He leído que te gustaba Michael Jordan". "Michael Jordan se ponía a defender como un hijo de p***".#LuisEnrique 🗣️ Mbappé 📼 Lunes 7, '𝑵𝒐 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆́𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒊 **** 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂' Capítulo 2. — Fútbol en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarFutbol) October 3, 2024 '... you think you have to score goals for us. Of course, you're a phenomenon. No doubt about that. But that's not enough for me. A true leader is one who, when they can't help with goals, helps in everything (else) that matters,' he was seen telling the Frenchman. However, after a semifinal exit last year, Mbappe eventually got his dream move to Real Madrid. PSG's front three now comprises Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Doue, whose combined transfer fees of €170 million stands less than what the club paid for Mbappe alone. Dembele, once deemed one of the brightest youngsters in Europe, spent 784 days on the sidelines at Barcelona and struggled with off-field issues, including a video game addiction. It led to the Catalans offloading him. The winger then revived his career in the French capital. In 2025, Dembele made 33 goal contributions (25G, 8A), more than any player across the top five leagues of Europe, also winning the UCL Player of the Season award. Doue, on the other hand, was substituted within 18 minutes of coming on for Rennes in a 1-3 loss to Lyon in 2023 — an incident that sparked doubts about his first-team chances. 'It does not mean I don't have great trust in him and that he'll fail to make a great career, but some things need to be understood faster,' Rennes' manager Bruno Génésio had said. In the final, Doué became the first player to have three or more goal contributions (2G, 1A) and won the UCL Young Player of the Season award. UCL final strategy Enrique's advice to Mbappe became Dembele's gospel in the final — he hustled, harried, and though he didn't score, he assisted twice. Inter, which played with long balls — starting with the goalkeeper Yann Sommer passing it to the full-backs — was cornered when Dembele pressed him incessantly, forcing errors in build-up play. That combined with a swarm of five players in the opposition half — Kvaratskhelia, Doue, Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and Fabian Ruiz — like wolves on the prowl, Inter simply had no answers. Au Parc des Princes ou à Munich : un pur bonheur 🥰❤️💙 — Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) June 2, 2025 Meanwhile, two small blocks — Vitinha and João Neves (central midfield), and Marquinhos and Willian Pacho — were stationed to contain counter-attacks. The result: An inferno in Munich with Inter as the target. PSG had 23 attempts to Inter's eight and more than double the attacks (46 v 22). After a decade of turmoil, PSG's magnum opus arrived, not just through individual brilliance but also the vision of a manager who dared to trade stardust for steel. So, what does it take to cruise a car to victory? PSG now has the answer.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Ancelotti bats for Vinicius to bring Real Madrid form to Brazil
Brazil must help striker Vinicius Jr rediscover the form he has displayed at Real Madrid, new national team coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Wednesday. Ancelotti, who guided the Spanish giant to several titles alongside the Brazilian forward, including two Champions League triumphs and two La Liga crowns, said that his unique ability to unsettle opposing defences made him a vital asset. 'I don't know if he's been at his best here, but he has time to do what he does at Real Madrid,' Ancelotti told reporters ahead of Brazil's World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador on Thursday — his first match in charge of the national team. 'For us, he's a fundamental player. We have to work to ensure he performs at his best here,' the manager added. Vinicius made his FIFA World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022 and has been a regular for Brazil during its qualifying campaign for the 2026 tournament. However, he has struggled for form with the national team, falling short of his usual standards at Madrid. ALSO READ: Ancelotti's first Brazil squad — Neymar out, Casemiro back for 2026 Qualifiers Regarding his tactical approach, Ancelotti stated that he aims to field a compact, balanced team. 'I don't want a team with a clear identity. We have to defend well, whether it's 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. We have to defend together and use creativity with the ball,' he said. 'Individual quality is not enough today; you have to combine it with attitude, drive and commitment.' He didn't reveal his starting line-up for his debut as coach, but he did have words of praise for 18-year-old Estevao, who is leaving Palmeiras for Chelsea and has been tipped for a bright future with the national team. 'He's got a special talent... he's got character, he's a good person, he's humble, and he seems fine to me, but with a young player we have to be patient and careful. He has the characteristics to be very important for the future of the national team,' the coach said. Brazil is fourth in the standings for the South American World Cup qualifiers, while its opponent Ecuador is second, behind world champion Argentina. The top six qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil will host Paraguay in Sao Paulo next week and could secure an early spot at next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
