Madrid, May 26 (IANS) Xabi Alonso officially put paper to pen on a three-year deal with Real Madrid on Monday and thanked former head coach Carlo Ancelotti, saying he would not be at this level if it was not for the Italian’s influence on him.

Ancelotti was given a farewell fitting of his stature on Saturday, after Madrid’s 2-0 win against Real Sociedad in the final game of the domestic season.

Alonso, who played 243 games for the club as a player, played under Ancelotti and was a part of the Real Madrid squad that lifted the 2014 UEFA Champions League.

“I don’t want to stop talking about the chapter that has closed, about the baton I’m taking from Carlo Ancelotti. Carlo was my coach, a great person, a coach who left a mark on me, and probably without his mastery and the learning I gained from him, I wouldn’t be here. I take up his legacy with great honor and pride,” said Alonso in his first press conference with Los Blancos.

Alonso officially announced his departure from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, concluding a historic reign at the club. Under Alonso’s guidance, Leverkusen achieved historic milestones, most notably clinching their first-ever Bundesliga title in the 2023–24 season without a single defeat – a feat unparalleled in German football history.

The team also secured the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup, completing a remarkable domestic treble. Their unbeaten streak extended to 51 matches across all competitions, setting a new European record before a loss in the Europa League final to Atalanta.

Alonso had begun his coaching career at Real Madrid’s youth academy, managing the U14 A team during the 2018-2019 season, where he won the League and the Champions Tournament and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez emphasized that he knew the Spaniard will return to the club since his first time on the bench.

“We all knew very well what your destiny would be from the moment you first sat on a bench in 2018, with the Infantil A,” said Perez.

–IANS

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