Manager: Xabi AlonsoStar player: Kylian MbappeClub World Cup record: Five-time winnersFixtures: Al Hilal (June 18), Pachuca (June 22), FC Salzburg (June 26)For most teams, second place in their domestic league, runners up in both domestic cups and reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League would mark a season of relative success.
For Real Madrid, it means it is time to change the manager.
Following two successful spells in charge of Los Blancos, a trophyless season, and not making the last four of the Champions League, marked the end for Carlo Ancelotti – the most successful manager in history.
The Italian’s boots are big ones to fill, but that is the task that former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso has taken on.
A title winner in Germany, in his first managerial job with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso was always hot favourite to replace Ancelotti when the time came.
Real Madrid’s new coach Xabi Alonso during the unveiling news conference [Juan Medina/Reuters]
What is Alonso’s greatest challenge at Real?
The 43-year-old is hardly walking into a minefield in Madrid with the Spanish giants claiming a league and European double only a season ago. Advertisement
Added to that squad last year was the latest Galactico, Kylian Mbappe. In the French forward, Alonso may face his biggest challenge – not due to Mbappe’s personality or work rate, but purely his position in the side.
In the words of Alonso’s predecessor, Real are unbalanced but also lack “collective commitment”.
In short, the squad had too many attackers that Ancelotti 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 year.
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.
Two seas …
