Xabi Alonso speaks about his managerial journey and inspiration – ‘I was motivated by..’ | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso’s short spell at Real Madrid so far has been largely positive, but not devoid of conflicts.

Their two defeats have indeed been blown out of proportion with the team not being given credit for the position in which they stand across competitions. 

However, the manager has done well in his opening months at the club and is becoming the disciplinarian the dressing room needed, albeit to the displeasure of some prominent dressing room figures.

Alonso speaks to students

Speaking to students at the Real Madrid University School in a recent interaction, the manager was asked how it felt to be the coach of the first team and also to have trained the academy in the past.

“As I had already lived them as a player, I keep them in a natural way,” he began.

“You have to respect the history of Real Madrid and how this great club has been built.

“That search for excellence, that generosity and that effort are indisputable in the club,” he added on the high standards at the club.

Speaking on how Real Madrid is far more than the XI players who take to the field, Alonso said,

“And at all levels, not just on the field. The pitch is what shines the brightest, but there are many other areas, which you will learn about, that make this work.”

“Everything has to be linked, and that is an intangible asset of the club that is very valuable.

“At Real Madrid, things are not done any old way, and that has to be understood,” he added.

Going out of comfort

The manager then spoke to the students about the importance of going out of one’s comfort zone to truly develop and how that helped him in his career and education.

“When I was at university age, at the age of 22, I went to do my university in Liverpool.

“At first, I listened a lot, spoke little, and was very attentive to things. That helped me fall to my feet,” he began.

Xabi Alonso has been largely successful so far. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

“Then, you don’t have to be afraid; you have to have courage, your own personality to make yourself respected constructively, and then the constancy of taking the right steps to get as far as you want,” he added.

On how the same helped him in his football career, both as a player and a manager, Alonso made it clear how much he valued his time outside Spain.

“Seeing the world, meeting people from everywhere and other cultures helped me a lot. Probably if I hadn’t had that experience as a player, I wouldn’t be here now.”

Confident of his career choice

The manager also revealed how he never had any doubt that his life would be devoted to football from early on.

“I was lucky enough to recognise from a young age what my passion was, which was to play soccer. That makes it easier to choose the path.”

“Once you throw that way, you have to be willing to pay a price. You have to be willing to give yourself one hundred per cent so that, first, you can have the opportunity,” he added.

Finally, Alonso spoke about what motivated him to become a manager after his playing career.

“I was motivated by curiosity about the game. Now I’m a coach, but the nice thing is to play. I envy the players a lot, but a healthy envy.”

“I was always curious about why things happen, maybe it was because of the position I had. That invited me to be close to this,” he added, crediting his curiosity to being a midfielder.

Alonso then spoke on the passion he had for management and how he loved to take up challenges.

“Already in recent years I said to myself: ‘I have to shape this’. I had to prepare myself well to enjoy this new responsibility.”

“I didn’t want to take the steps too fast, that’s why I started here with the children [academy],” he added.

“I wanted to take the steps gradually until I got here. You have to go outside and try to learn,” he concluded.

Source: MARCA