Will Xabi Alonso replace Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager?

Xabi Alonso has confirmed he’s leaving Bayer Leverkusen, making a move to Real Madrid seem all the more inevitable.

Carlo Ancelotti will depart Madrid and is expected to take over Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

5=) Jose Mourinho
“The ‘no’ to Florentino Perez,” Mourinho once said when asked for his biggest regrets in football. Ever since turning his back on the Real Madrid president to return to Chelsea in 2013, another homecoming to the Bernabeu has been mooted. One of the recent rumours even surfaced while he was at Manchester United. But it isn’t happening in big 2025.

5=) Zinedine Zidane
Never before has a man had quite such powerful Real Madrid manager energy, to the extent Zidane will forever be linked with the biggest jobs despite only managing Real Madrid and seemingly refusing to ever countenance the mere idea of managing anyone else. A couple of two-year interim stints delivered three Champions Leagues and two La Ligas and he would probably do it all again if he absolutely had to.

5=) Roberto De Zerbi
It would be remarkable if an exciting spell which ultimately petered out massively at Brighton was parlayed into something quite similar with Marseille, and then the big job with Los Blancos.

4) Raul
The manager of Real Madrid Castilla should always warrant at least a mention for the big job and Raul’s candidacy is only strengthened by his status as a phenomenal Los Blancos player. But he is leaving the role with the reserve team at the end of the season – to be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa – and while he is expected to remain within the institution in some capacity, it is unknown where or as what.

3) Andoni Iraola
It is quite Modern Football for the manager of a team eighth in the Premier League table to be one of the favourites to take over at Real Actual Madrid. But Iraola has done some undoubtedly brilliant work at Bournemouth and more pertinently Rayo Vallecano, and there is only a year left on his contract on the south coast.

He is rumoured to be ready to turn down Spurs, but Real Madrid?

2) Jurgen Klopp
If some Liverpool supporters were already soured on Klopp when he addressed his lack of energy by becoming Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, breaking management retirement to join their perennial thorn in the European side Real Madrid would make him about as popular at Anfield as Michael Owen and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

But can you deny a man his dream job?

1) Xabi Alonso
But it does feel like Alonso’s job if he wants it. The lure of Liverpool was resisted when Klopp left and there was work to be done in charge of unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, yet that crown was not defended and he has announced he’s leaving his role as head coach.

“This week, the club and I have agreed that these are going to be my last two games as Bayer Leverkusen coach. This is a moment with mixed emotions. This is not a moment to talk too much and not to talk about the future,” the former Madrid midfielder said.