Carlo Ancelotti said he hopes Xabi Alonso can coach Real Madrid "one day" after the Bayer Leverkusen boss was linked with the position following Real's 3-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Alonso, 41 -- who twice played for Ancelotti, including at the end of a five-year spell as a Madrid player between 2009 and 2014 -- has guided Leverkusen to second in the Bundesliga this season, level on points with league leaders Bayern Munich.
ESPN reported in May that Alonso is the leading candidate to take over from Ancelotti, whose contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in June 2024.
"I had Xabi Alonso as a player," Ancelotti said in a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Madrid's LaLiga game with Las Palmas. "He has a high-level knowledge of football. He's doing very well with Bayer Leverkusen. He has that reading [of the game], that capacity.
"I think one day -- for Raul [Gonzalez], for [Alvaro] Arbeloa, for Xabi Alonso -- their biggest wish is to coach Real Madrid and I want that for them because I know them all, I love them all. Let's hope that one day they can be Real Madrid coaches."
Alonso starred for some of modern football's top managers -- Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola -- as a midfielder at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, before beginning his coaching career at Madrid's academy.
He spent three seasons in charge of boyhood club Real Sociedad's reserve team before taking over at Leverkusen in October 2022, taking them from a relegation battle to Europa League qualification.
Real Madrid had their perfect start to the new LaLiga season ended by city rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Ancelotti faced criticism for his team selection and tactics in Sunday's LaLiga loss to Atletico after leaving forward Joselu out of the starting eleven and picking Jude Bellingham in attack alongside Rodrygo, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in midfield.
"[Criticism] is part of the job of a coach," Ancelotti said. "When you're Real Madrid manager, it's normal that you get criticism when things don't go well... I have to evaluate, in a self-critical way, what we've done, what we're doing well, which is a lot, and what we didn't do well against Atletico Madrid.
"I have to evaluate things with balance," he said. "Fortunately that's in my genes, I'm a balanced person. It isn't that difficult. It isn't about doubting everything. The team had won six games out of six, with all the [injury] problems we've had."
Ancelotti has ditched his usual 4-3-3 formation this season, opting to use a midfield diamond to get the best out of Bellingham and compensate for his lack of attacking options.
However the team's defence was left exposed against Atletico, with all three goals coming from headers -- two from Álvaro Morata and one from Antoine Griezmann -- after crosses into the box.
"Every system has its weakness," the Italian said. "The midfield diamond isn't perfect, neither is 4-2-2 or 5-3-2... This [formation] allows us to press more, with more energy to win the ball back, but the weakness is sometimes [the opponent] can find you out of position when they cross, because the midfielders don't always have time to get back and help the defence. When something is clear, you can fix it."
Liverpool's asking price for Konate revealed amid Madrid interestAccording to Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool have informed all interested parties that they would demand a fee in the region of £35 million, amid strong interest from Real Madrid. Los Blancos have been linked with a move for the French centre-back since last month, when it was reported that Konate had refused to sign a new contract.K...
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Club Necaxa VS Club Leon
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 TIPS - Cambuur Leeuwarden VS FC Oss