According to reports, while Ancelotti’s team lost in Barcelona, Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen also suffered a defeat against Borussia Dortmund. However, this loss did not overshadow the farewell celebration from the German club’s fans.

“I must announce that this week, the club and I reached an agreement, and these two matches will be my last as the team’s coach. We believe the time for separation and its announcement has come,” Xabi Alonso said, without explicitly stating but clearly hinting at what was already an open secret.

His departure from Bayer Leverkusen, where he still had over a year left on his contract, will be accompanied by signing a three-year deal with Real Madrid. The coach from Tolosa explained with his usual calm: “In football, as in life, choosing the right time is crucial.” He added, “Now is not the time to talk about the future because on Sunday, we want to have a beautiful farewell here.” Xabi was referring to the penultimate Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund, which marked his farewell to the Bayer Arena bench.

It can be assumed that this announcement, besides the agreement with the German club, was also coordinated with Real Madrid, where everyone knows they like to keep everything under control.

Thus, almost simultaneously as Real Madrid lost their last chances for the La Liga title with a 4-3 defeat in Montjuïc, trailing Barcelona by seven points with only nine points left, Xabi Alonso also couldn’t bid farewell to his fans with a victory. He also lost 4-2, a similar result to Real’s.

However, the truth is that with Bayern Munich’s title secured a week earlier and Leverkusen’s second-place position confirmed, the team had nothing left to lose, while Dortmund was fighting for a European spot. Nevertheless, this defeat did not ruin the farewell ceremony for Alonso. Fans, besides presenting him with a commemorative plaque and a street named after him, wholeheartedly supported him, and he reciprocated their affection.

A Short but Glorious Era

It should be recalled that after leaving Real Sociedad, where he achieved promotion to the Spanish second division after sixty years with the club’s second team, Alonso took over Bayer Leverkusen in the relegation zone and led them to the Europa League. This was in his first season, which had started midway. In his second season, he not only won the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s 120-year history but also lifted the DFB-Pokal and reached the Europa League final.

As he did after winning the Bundesliga, Alonso went to the stands where his passionate fans were, fans who this season celebrated the German Super Cup along with other honors. On the day he announced his imminent departure from Leverkusen, taking the first step towards joining Real Madrid, he said: “When the season ends, it will be time to take the next step.”

From a selfish perspective, it benefits Alonso that Real Madrid, barring a major surprise, will end the season without titles in the Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, or even the Spanish Super Cup, where they were humiliated by Barcelona. But beyond this, the challenge facing Xabi is enormous.

His experience in the Bundesliga, like his playing career in the Premier League, has prepared him for this “next step.” In Madrid, everyone knows the main goal is to win trophies, but for Alonso, it might be equally important that these trophies come through team play, not just individual brilliance.

In any case, he will be a far more demanding and interventionist coach than his predecessors, Ancelotti and Zidane, when dealing with the club’s management. And this, without a doubt, will be Xabi Alonso’s biggest challenge as he arrives to save Real Madrid. A man like no other.

Xabi Alonso Joins Real Madrid on June 1st with Lower Expectations

Xabi Alonso will begin his tenure as Real Madrid’s head coach on June 1st, meaning he will be on the bench for the FIFA Club World Cup starting on June 14th. This news was reported by El Chiringuito. Thus, the possibility of Solari acting as interim coach for this tournament, initially speculated, is now off the table.

According to the same report, Alonso, who is still Bayer Leverkusen’s coach (with only one Bundesliga match left), will sign a three-year contract with Real Madrid to start his project after Carlo Ancelotti’s official departure is confirmed.

Moreover, Xabi Alonso will bring three new players to Real Madrid. The first, no longer a secret, is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool full-back announced his departure from the club a few days ago—a departure that, despite Liverpool’s Premier League title, has been somewhat tense. The other two players will include a left-back and a central defender—positions where Real Madrid’s weaknesses have been glaring this season.

More importantly, expectations from Xabi are now lower than before. He is not inheriting a championship-winning team; his legacy is a tactically and mentally broken team that needs quick recovery for the Club World Cup. No one expects miracles from Xabi, and yes, it’s not strange to say that the defeat in El Clásico benefited him the most. Xabi now has the chance to gradually shape the team he wants and bring it back to the top.