Xabi Alonso on Monday promised a new era for Real Madrid after being unveiled as manager, confident he can achieve important things as he builds on the legacy left behind by his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti.
Alonso was appointed manager on Sunday, returning to the Santiago Bernabeu where he spent six seasons as a player and won several trophies.
The 43-year-old had been in charge of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who he guided to a double last season as they won the German Cup and lifted their first German Bundesliga title without losing a game.
Photo: AFP
“Without a doubt, this is a very special day for me. A day that I will have marked in my calendar for life. I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home,” said Alonso, who will begin his tenure on Sunday ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.
“The bond with Madrid has never ceased to exist and, since I entered Valdebebas [training center] an hour and a half ago, that feeling has been reborn. I have the feeling that this is the beginning of a new era,” he said.
“We have a great team, we have fantastic players and a very good potential. That gives me reason to come here with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We have the conviction that we can achieve important things, worthy of Real Madrid and these European cups,” he said.
Asked what style of play he would implement at Real, Alonso told reporters: “It’s a good question and I like it, because 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,” he said. “The symbiosis we are looking for is fundamental for the stage to start well. I like to improve everyone’s potential to fit the pieces together.”
Alonso takes charge of a Real side who had a sub-par season by their own lofty standards, finishing second in Spanish LaLiga behind Barcelona, who also beat them in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals.
They were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League as holders in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.
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