Xabi Alonso backed to succeed at Real Madrid by ex-teammate: ‘Already had a good eye to be a coach’ | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso will take charge of his first Champions League match as Real Madrid manager this Tuesday.

It will be against Olympique de Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu, with his sights firmly set on lifting the trophy at the end of the season and joining the list of coaches who have done so with the club.

The Basque coach has already made history with Bayer Leverkusen, winning titles with the German side and earning widespread respect for his playing style.

Now he has arrived at what is perhaps the most demanding dugout in football, that of Real Madrid, and he is determined to continue writing his name into the sport’s history.

Fabio Coentrao tips Xabi Alonso for success

Many who shared a dressing room with Xabi Alonso during his playing career recognised early on that he had the makings of a coach.

His constant interest in the game, his focus on theoretical details, training methods and tactics marked him out as someone destined for the touchline.

Xabi Alonso is in his first season at Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

The latest to highlight this is former Real Madrid star Fabio Coentrao. The Portuguese former left-back spoke to MARCA (h/t ElDesmarque) after a charity match in his home country.

During the conversation, the former Real Madrid defender said that the club “is always there to fight for every title” and that this year, with “a good team and a good coach,” he hopes everything goes well.

“Xabi Alonso is very good. I had the opportunity to play with him and I saw then that he already had a good eye to be a coach. I wish him all the best,” Coentrao added.

Having taken over the reins from Carlo Ancelotti in June, Alonso led Real Madrid to the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup during the summer, where they faltered against PSG.

Since the start of the new season, the Merengues have won four matches in four in La Liga, showing a marked improvement in their overall style of play under Alonso. And the hope will be that he can lead the team to success in the Champions League.