Arsenal superstar confident Xabi Alonso will succeed at Real Madrid – ‘He is more than ready’ | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has expressed strong support for Xabi Alonso, who has taken over as the new Real Madrid manager.

Speaking from Spain’s national team training camp, Merino said Alonso is more than ready for the challenge ahead and called him a role model, both as a player and now as a coach.

Merino recalled watching Alonso as a young fan, admiring his success with the Spanish national team and the influence he had on an entire generation. “He was a role model for all of us,” Merino said in an interview with EFE (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

“We saw him win everything with Spain. We grew up admiring players like him, and now to be competing at the same level is still hard to believe.”

Alonso ready for Real Madrid pressure

Mikel Merino has backed Xabi Alonso. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Alonso, who replaces Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of Real Madrid, arrives with a growing reputation after an impressive run with Bayer Leverkusen.

Merino is convinced that his former idol has learned from the best and is ready for the intense pressure that comes with managing the Spanish giants.

“As a coach, he’s a star,” said Merino. “You can see the influence he’s had on every coach in his career.

“He’s been a sponge, and the work he’s done with Leverkusen has led him to take on the biggest challenge there is in football: being the coach of Real Madrid, with the pressure that entails,” he added.

Merino also shared a personal note, remembering meeting Alonso in San Sebastian. “I think he’s more than ready, and I wish him the best.

“We met in San Sebastian, and I have a lot of respect for him. I hope he has a lot of success, as long as he doesn’t cross paths with us,” he concluded.