Xabi Alonso has ideas on how to find balance at top-heavy Real Madrid

MADRID – New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said in his first press conference on May 26 that he had an “idea of how we want to play” as he faces the poser of how to mould his array of attacking stars into a cohesive team.

The Spaniard signed a three-year contract until June 2028, returning to the Santiago Bernabeu, where he spent six seasons as a player and won several trophies.

Despite his scoring exploits since his arrival last summer, Kylian Mbappe seems to have thrown off balance the Los Blancos team already boasting the attacking prowess of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, as well as youngsters Endrick and Arda Guler.

Alonso’s predecessor, the wily Carlo Ancelotti, who has since departed to take over as Brazil’s national coach, regularly complained Real could not find a balance between attacking and defending, losing 14 matches across all competitions this season.

Said Alonso: “I’ve seen the games and I have analysed them, now I am thinking about how to make a balanced team.

“I want everyone to know how we want to do things, and that will give us a stability that will allow individual qualities to flourish.”

A key issue Real faced this season was getting the best out of Mbappe and Vinicius, with both preferring to play on the left wing.

“It’s fortunate that we have players of that level. Not just Kylian or Vinicius, but many others. They make the difference and we have to get everything out of them. I have ideas... But for me it’s very important to communicate what we want,” Alonso said.

Asked what style of play he would implement at Real, he added: “Today’s football asks you to be flexible and dynamic. It asks you to know how to move the pieces around. I have an idea of how we want to play, but the system can change. I want the team to transmit emotion, energy, to play ambitiously and to connect with the people.”

Alonso regularly used a 3-4-3 formation while in charge of his former club Bayer Leverkusen.

He guided them to a double in 2023-24 as they won the German Cup and lifted their first Bundesliga title without losing a game.

Replacing the 43-year-old at Leverkusen is Erik ten Hag, who was appointed coach on May 26.

The Dutchman has worked in German football before, spending two years in charge of Bayern Munich’s reserve team from 2013.

He then won the Eredivisie three times with Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam, before moving to Manchester United, where he won the FA Cup and League Cup.

Ten Hag could have a rebuilding job on his hands, with Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes confirming on May 26 that English champions Liverpool have “concrete interest” in star midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Jeremie Frimpong also looks set to join Liverpool, while vice-captain Jonathan Tah is strongly linked with Bayern Munich. AFP, REUTERS