If Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti couldn't already feel Xabi Alonso's shadow in his office, the Basque manager and his Bayer Leverkusen side are at the Valdebebas training ground this week as they prepare to face Atletico Madrid. However, much of the Madrid-based press was interested in his prospects of replacing the Italian.
Leverkusen will be looking for a second win at the Metropolitano in three years under Alonso after their victory in the Spanish capital eliminated Los Colchoneros in the group stages for the first time. Alonso was peppered with questions about whether he would continue at Leverkusen next season.
“I can't say anything, we are in the middle of a season and all clubs have big goals. Atletico has them, Madrid too and I am thinking about achieving them. The match is very important for both of us and that is what I am focused on.”
However, Alonso waxed lyrical about his time at Real Madrid, calling it 'unforgettable'.
“Time passes over the years, but the affection remains and that relationship is unforgettable. We are grateful, the band is very strong, it was a very nice stage as a player. They were intense years, it was difficult for us to get what we wanted, but if we achieved it, it will last.”
Understandably, Alonso was asked whether he had prepared himself for the barrage of questions about his future.
“I didn't prepare myself, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't surprise me. “I'm only thinking about Atletico, that's what I've been preparing for and I have plenty to do,” he told Marca.
Alonso still has a house in Madrid and was back in December to carry out renovation work, which clearly kept the rumor mill going. When facing Atletico, Alonso noted that the atmosphere at the Metropolitano was something to be reckoned with, and that their stars are smart in their use of the ball.
“Coming back to Madrid is always a great experience. I remember two years ago, which was exciting. Coming back always has a special touch. Atletico asks a lot of you and that is motivation enough.”
The Basque coach has been tipped as a future Real Madrid manager since he left the under-19 team, before joining Real Sociedad B and Leverkusen. With both Ancelotti and Alonso out of contract in 2026, many see it as a matter of when and if Alonso returns to the Santiago Bernabeu. It is not yet clear whether Ancelotti will be given the opportunity to finalize his contract if Los Blancos secure La Liga, or whether president Florentino Perez wants to speed up the operation.
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