‘You are the beginning, I am the whole’ – and in a few days, perhaps the two former teachers and students will be able to say this to each other. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid chapter is coming to an end. On the other hand, his former student Xabi Alonso is going to take charge of Los Blancos. Unless something very sensational happens, the possibility of a different scenario is unlikely. So perhaps Ancelotti has sent a message to Alonso, the next coach of Real, in advance.
Today (Sunday) at 8:15 pm, Real Madrid and Barcelona will face each other in the last El Clasico of the season in La Liga. This is probably going to be the last El Clasico of Ancelotti’s career. The Madrid club’s La Liga title depends on this match. They have lost two titles to their arch-rivals the Catalans this season. As a result, the La Liga trophy could be a silver lining for Real. If that happens, Carlo’s departure from Real could also be a bit colorful!
On the other hand, Real’s former Spanish midfielder Alonso has been in talks to become the club’s coach for several years. Everyone assumes that after Ancelotti, the burden of the Santiago Bernabeu club’s manager’s post will fall on his shoulders. The 43-year-old Alonso practically walked that path by announcing his resignation from Bayer Leverkusen last Friday. His contract with the German club will expire in June at the end of the season. He will then be wearing Real Madrid’s iconic white jersey, the one he once wore to play 44 matches under Ancelotti.
Ancelotti will stand in the dugout for the last time at Real Madrid on May 25, when he will leave the club in the match against Real Sociedad. Earlier, the Italian technician opened the door for Real’s next coach at a press conference yesterday, saying, “I heard his announcement (of Alonso leaving Bayer Leverkusen). Where he has done an incredible job. The door is open for him, because he has proven that he is one of the best in the world.”
Ancelotti also mentioned that the honeymoon or happy moments with Real Madrid will never end, “The honeymoon with this club will never end. It will continue, Real Madrid is a lot like (AC) Milan, the clubs remain in my heart. If you ask me about the honeymoon as a coach, I don’t know the answer, but it will continue for the time spent here and the relationships. When the pressure decreases, the love increases. My honeymoon with Madrid will last until the last day of my life.”
Ancelotti’s team have lost all three El Clasicos this season. Ahead of another clash with Barcelona, the Brazilian potential coach said: “You have to do everything in these types of matches. You have to defend well because they (Barca) are a team that will put a lot of pressure in your half. And when you get the ball, you have to exploit their weaknesses because no team is perfect. There are a lot of risks here. If Barcelona win, their chances (of winning La Liga) are high. And if we win, the league will be open, so anything can happen.” Incidentally, Alonso has played under Ancelotti not only at Real Madrid but also at Bayern Munich. The mentor-disciple duo played 38 matches at the German club. In total, Alonso has played 82 matches under Ancelotti for both clubs. In which the former Spaniard midfielder scored 2 goals and provided 7 assists. He made history in his coaching career by leading Bayer Leverkusen to two titles last season. They were undefeated champions in the Bundesliga.
