On Friday, Real Madrid announced that Carlo Ancelotti had signed a two-year extension as head coach, meaning that the Italian will remain in charge until the end of the 2025-26 season. It puts an end to speculation surrounding his future, as he had been heavily linked with taking over as Brazil manager from next summer.
Ancelotti’s renewal means that Xabi Alonso will not be taking over as manager – for now. The 42-year-old was considered to be the frontrunner to replace Ancelotti if he stepped aside, but that won’t happen for the time being.
However, Alonso – who has had an incredible 12-month spell at Bayer Leverkusen – is being lined up to take over at some of his other former clubs. He has been touted as a possible successor to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, while Estadio Deportivo say that are considering him as a replacement for Imanol Alguacil, in the event that the 52-year-old were to leave the club.
In spite of this, it is Bayern Munich that are closest to appointing Alonso, with the German champions considering him as Thomas Tuchel’s successor, in the event that he is sacked over thew coming months.
For now, Alonso will remain at Leverkusen, where he continues to thrive. A return to Real Sociedad would be incredible, but Alguacil has been outstanding himself in that position over the five years, so supporters and club bosses would equally not like to see him depart any time soon.
