Real Madrid are licking their wounds after a heavy defeat to Barcelona, and the backlash has not been far behind it. Already the future of several stars has been called into question, but none more so than manager Carlo Ancelotti.
While Vinicius Junior and Aurelien Tchouameni look less certain of their long-term futures than they did last week, there is one certainty that some at Valdebebas insist on: Xabi Alonso will return to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2025. That is reported by Relevo, who say that Real Madrid see Alonso as the ideal candidate to take over from Ancelotti, and Bayer Leverkusen also believe that he will be on his way next summer.
Those from within #RealMadrid insist: Xabi Alonso will join in 2025. (Relevo) pic.twitter.com/Ex9VG6Oo6X
— Football España (@footballespana_) October 31, 2024
Los Blancos are not in a hurry to sack Ancelotti, and nobody expects him to leave during the season. They consider him part of the club, and are happy to have him as manager while he is winning titles. As soon as he is not – which could be this season – Ancelotti will be offered a role at the club upstairs.
Few expected Ancelotti to be here so long when he was drafted in to the job, but with two Champions Leagues in three years, Los Blancos have far surpassed expectations with the Italian. His inconsistency in La Liga has always been a feature of his career though, and it is no surprise that like it did in his first spell, it could come back to bite them.
