Xabi Alonso open to joining La Liga club as head coach despite interest from Real Madrid: Reports
According to certain reports, former Real Madrid legend Xabi Alonso could soon make a comeback to Spain in a managerial capacity. However, contrary to the general perception, his return to La Liga could be away from the Santiago Bernabeu, with rumors linking Alonso to Real Sociedad instead.
The 41-year-old footballer-turned-manager has been working wonders in Germany, having completely overturned the fortunes of Bayer Leverkusen. When Alonso succeeded Gerardo Seoane as the manager in October 2022, the club was floundering at the 17th position out of 18 teams.
Alonso had a promising first season at the BayArena, leading Die Werkself to sixth position in the league table and the semifinal stage of the Europa League. They were eliminated by eventual runners-up AS Roma. However, the Spanish coach has upped the ante in his second season, with his Leverkusen side defying all odds in Bundesliga at the time of writing.
After 11 matchweeks, the German giants sit at the top of the league table, having accumulated 31 points so far. Leverkusen, under Alonso, are yet to taste defeat in the league, having recorded 10 victories in their domestic campaign. They have also scored the second most goals in Bundesliga(34), only trailing Bayern Munich by a margin of eight goals.
Xabi Alonso's side have also exhibited similar performances on the European stage, recording four wins out of four group stage games in the Europa League. Due to his team's stupendous form, Alonso is reportedly already attracting interest from multiple suitors across Europe, including Real Madrid.
The 2023-24 campaign appears to be Carlo Ancelotti's final one at the Santiago Bernabeu, with multiple reports linking him with the Brazil job, come next year. Consequently, several coaches have been rumored to follow in his footsteps at Real Madrid, with Xabi Alonso's name also appearing in the mix.
However, if reports from Spanish newspaper Okdiario are to be believed, Alonso is in no hurry to change his setting at the moment. Furthermore, Catalan media outlet El Nacional have claimed that the ex-Real Madrid midfielder could prefer a move to his boyhood club Real Sociedad, before coming to the Spanish capital.
While the Basque club would offer him the fluidity he needs to thrive as a coach, current boss Imanol Alguacil's impressive work at the Anoeta could delay Alonso's arrival. Alguacil has led the club to top 6 finishes in four successive seasons, having joined the club in 2018. He won the 2019-20 Copa del Rey with the club and currently stand 6th in La Liga. Other clubs that are currently linked with his signature include the Spaniard's former teams Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid's injury woes continue to pile on
With mainstays Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao getting ruled out for the entire season, Real Madrid were dealt a major blow at the beginning of the 2023-24 term. However, injuries have continued to plague Los Merengues' ongoing campaign.
Their star forward Vinicius Junior was recently confirmed to have suffered a rupture in the femoral biceps while out on international duty. Consequently, the 23-year-old wideman is reportedly set to miss out on two months of footballing action.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Camavinga also sustained a ligament rupture in his right knee during the international break and is expected to return to fitness in January 2024. The injury list for Los Blancos also includes Aurelien Tchouameni(left foot fracture), Dani Ceballos(right leg muscle injury), Kepa Arrizabalaga(adductor muscle tear), and summer signing Arda Guler(right quadriceps).