Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has made his first statements since he took over from the Santiago Bernabeu, after the open secret of his arrival was confirmed on Sunday. The Basque coach has signed and took over a three -year -old deal with Los Blancos from Carlo Anceotti.
On Monday he was presented in the Santiago Bernabeu as the new manager, prior to his first press conference. And President Florentino Perez gave him a warm welcome to the club.
“We know what Real Madrid means to you. As a player you have defined an era, not only with Real Madrid, but also with Liverpool and Bayern Munich, and of course you are one of the legends of the national team, who win the World Cup.”
“After three seasons at Bayer, you built a team that was admired both the world here and all over the world. As a coach at Leverkusen you have also achieved a performance that makes you one of the best coaches in the world. You are now confronted with one of the biggest challenges of your life. You know these fans are loving and admiring again.”
Alonso then went on stage for the first time, called it a special day and thanked first Perez.
“Today is a special day for me, marked on the calendar for life. I have the feeling that I come home because the band with Real Madrid never ceased to exist. Since I entered Valdebebas an hour and a half ago, that feeling has been reborn.”
“Thank you, President, for thinking that I am the person who leads this new era. Because it has been announced in recent days, I feel that Real Madrid has that enthusiasm for a new era and achieves a little more. It is a good time for everyone, thanks to my family, without whom it would be impossible to be here today.
However, he also had friendly words for his departing predecessor, Ancelotti, and noted that the Italian played a key role in his journey to coaching.
“But I want to talk about the role I take over. The era that has just ended. He was a great manager and a big person. Carlo had a huge influence; without his expertise and the lessons I learned from him, I would probably not be.
“We have a fantastic team and a bright future. I am excited to build a great team, with the conviction that we can achieve things that Real Madrid are worth. I want the fans to be proud, I want us to spread joy, and I want the fans to be the team that I like. If we can ignite it, we have a non -toppable team.”