Softfootball understands that Xabi Alonso turned 44 at this time; this comes at a second the place he’s proper on the heart of Actual Madrid’s future. It’s fairly a full-circle second for him, going from working the midfield years in the past to now attempting to form the entire crew from the dugout.
Following their current 2-2 draw in opposition to Elche, Actual Madrid took time to want him a cheerful birthday by way of their official X account.
View the put up beneath:
Born on November 25, 1981, in Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, he’s all the time been linked to Spanish soccer in a method or one other, however this step at Madrid feels a bit completely different, virtually like a return that was all the time going to occur in the end.
As a participant, Alonso wasn’t the flashiest man on the pitch, however he was the one who made all the pieces tick. Calm on the ball, intelligent along with his positioning, and a type of midfielders who didn’t actually need to dash in all places to manage the sport. Individuals nonetheless speak about that 2005 Champions League last with Liverpool, the comeback, his aim, and the entire chaos of the evening.
After that, he moved to Actual Madrid in 2009, and, actually, that’s the place he cemented his standing as one of the dependable midfield brains round. La Décima in 2014, the 2012 league title, the Copa del Rey, and loads of silverware. Then the spell at Bayern Munich earlier than calling it a day in 2017.
For Spain, he was a part of principally the best period the nationwide crew ever had. Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012, he performed in all of them. His a hundredth cap, when he scored twice in opposition to France, continues to be remembered as a type of “this man all the time exhibits up” moments.
After retiring, his teaching path began regular somewhat than dramatic. Madrid’s youth groups first, then Actual Sociedad B, and ultimately Bayer Leverkusen, the place issues actually exploded in a great way. That unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023–24, plus the home double, turned him into one in all Europe’s most talked-about managers. His type, the 3-4-2-1, the steadiness, the man-management, all of it got here collectively properly.
Now at Actual Madrid since June 2025, he’s working with gamers like Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. Early speak across the membership suggests he’s calm, not in a rush, however attempting to kind out issues like final season’s defensive gaps. It’s nonetheless early, and a few issues look tough across the edges, however that’s regular for a primary season.
Turning 44 as Actual Madrid supervisor, main the crew to a Champions League sport in opposition to Olympiacos this Wednesday isn’t simply symbolic for Alonso. It appears like the beginning of a chapter he’s been quietly getting ready for through the years, even when he didn’t say it out loud.
