Real Madrid News
Real Madrid confident of having Xabi Alonso as new manager at FIFA Club World Cup
Winds of change are blowing at Real Madrid as Carlo Ancelotti is set to bring an end to his second tenure as the Merengues’ manager.
The Italian tactician’s exit process will pick up pace after Sunday’s El Clasico, as he prepares to sign for Brazil at the end of the La Liga season.
As for his successor, Real Madrid have identified Xabi Alonso as the right man to take over the reins, with the former midfielder also confirming earlier this week that he will be leaving Bayer Leverkusen once the season is over.
Real Madrid confident Alonso will take over for Club World Cup
Now, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid are confident of having Xabi Alonso in charge of the team in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Spanish capital giants share a good relationship with Leverkusen and as such there will be no problems in negotiating the 43-year-old manager’s exit.
Real Madrid will be expected to pay a ‘symbolic’ fee to secure his release, reported to be around €5 million.
The FIFA Club World Cup starts on June 14 while Real Madrid will play their first game on June 18 against Al-Hilal.
The initial plan was for the Merengues to name current director Santiago Solari as the interim manager for the tournament with Alonso taking over once it was over.
However, it appears that the plan has changed now and there is optimism within the club that their top managerial target will be able to lead the team at the Club World Cup in the USA next month.
Alonso, for his part, was believed to have some reservations about such a move but Real Madrid seem to be keen on having the 43-year-old at the helm of affairs when they fly to the USA next month.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
