Expectations for Alonso in Real Madrid

Alonso will coach Real Madrid at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 43-year-old arrived after his success at Bayer Leverkusen.

Xavi Alonso has a brilliant player career, winning the 2010 South Africa™ World Cup, and he first entered the coaching career seven years ago when he was tasked with leading the Infantil A youth team of Real Madrid Football Club, a team of players aged 13 to 14. Today, he faces the challenge of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, his first official test as Real Madrid coach.

After a year of his time for Real Madrid Infantil A, Real Sociedad hired him to coach their famous B team, known as Sanse. The team he coached was playing in the Spanish Football League 3 Segunda B at the time.

The league is the final stage of development for many players who aim to become professionals, and it is also a tough test for ambitious clubs who want to climb the football ladder and put their city on the map. In his first season in charge, Alonso's side missed the upgrade play-off with a slight advantage.

Key players of that team include centre-back Jon Pacheco and forward Robert Navarro. Both players recently had interviews with FIFA, sharing their experiences working under Alonso and discussing what would happen to his new chapter as a coach in the White Army. Despite his young age, Pacheco is a regular at the heart of the backline. “From the beginning, he instilled his ambitions into every stage of the game, and I made that psychological shift from day one,” he recalls.

Regarding Alonso's requirements and Sans's game style, Pacheco's summary reflects what many people later saw during Alonso's tenure at Leverkusen. “The most important thing is that he wants us to play with confidence and courage,” Pacheco said. “He insisted that we took the initiative in the game and wanted us to focus as much as possible on moving the ball forward.” He is a coach who is not afraid of taking risks. He likes to mix things up. Sometimes he wants us to oppress in groups of two, but sometimes he wants us to back down and sit for a little longer. What stands out to me is that he likes us to defend by taking the ball.

Navarro was signed specifically at Alonso's request after Real Sociedad B had played two games. “He played a big role in bringing me here,” Navarro said. “The club told me that Xavi was the helm of Team B and could help me grow a lot.” And that’s exactly what happened. I worked under him for the first two years. Due to my age, I struggled even more during my first year. I’ve witnessed part of his journey as a coach, from his first management role to his transfer to Leverkusen after coaching the B team in the second division. He made great progress and benefited greatly from working with us. One of the outstanding qualities of

Alonso's outstanding qualities is his tactical wisdom, which Navarro and Jon Andel Orasagasti certainly haven't overlooked, who cemented his position as Real Sociedad first-team after Alonso made his first season in 2019-20.

"I really enjoy myself. During our upgrade season in the second division, every game we played offense from the backcourt," Olasagasti recalled. "We have a very clear game plan. It's my most affectionate season and the best memory. It's much harder in the Spanish Second Division because we lack a front line and aren't calm enough in the penalty area, but in terms of our overall performance level, we managed to keep ourselves in and compete with other teams.

"Xavi adjusts his game style based on his opponents and builds his game plan around the players he can use based on his strength and attributes," Navarro added. "I remember he started to put the right back in the middle. We used to set up a three-back formation, and the full-backs would move inward to form a diamond midfield, while the wingers would leave wider, giving us more width and space.

Benate Turientes, who has played nearly 100 times for Real Sociedad first-team, has first-hand experience in coaching Alonso. In January 2021, he made his debut under Alonso, helping his team advance to La Liga, playing 20 games in the league while also earning some weird cameo roles in the first team.

"Alonso gave me a lot of confidence and always kept an eye on my progress," Tuliantez said. “He gave me a lot of advice based on his personal experience. He wished I could take the ball, command in the midfield. I really improved my long passes, and he was famous for it. He taught me to hit with confidence, and in the La Liga season he encouraged me to keep letting go. He also helped me make significant progress in tackles, taught me to wait until the last second to put my foot in to win the ball. He helped me improve every aspect of the game.

As for what Real Madrid fans expect from Alonso’s coaching at the Club World Cup that began in June, Navarro responded unequivocally. “I think he’s ready,” he said. “Indeed, he is taking over one of the best teams in the world and filling a position with a legend like Ancelotti is not easy. "He has a tough task on hand. Alonso exudes grace and ambition, and he has a huge desire for victory. He has the potential to really change the team, and I believe he will do a good job. He is a real professional player who works very hard with the players to make them play well and win trophies.