Xabi Alonso celebrates his competitive debut as Real Madrid’s new coach on Wednesday. The Basque appeared calm as usual at his first matchday press conference – and raved about a 17-year-old.
Journalists crowded into the packed room in Miami on Tuesday. At his first official matchday press conference, Xabi Alonso answered a total of 28 questions – and left none unanswered. At 9 p.m., the Basque will enter the Club World Cup with Real Madrid, facing Al-Hilal and their new coach Simone Inzaghi, who recently left Champions League finalists Inter Milan in a surprise move.
It remains to be seen which players Xabi Alonso will be able to call upon against the Saudi Arabian representatives. Striker Kylian Mbappé, for example, was recently absent due to illness. “Kylian felt a little better on Tuesday, but not well enough. It’s very hot and it was better that he didn’t train. We’ll wait until the last moment. We’ll decide on the day of the game,” said Real’s new head coach.
Xabi Alonso also has a question mark behind German international Antonio Rüdiger. “Rüdiger exhausted himself brutally last season, and I don’t know if he’ll play, but he’s making good progress and will be the first to come back,” said the 43-year-old. “Camavinga is also making rapid progress, but he still needs time.”
The situation surrounding Rodrygo will also be exciting this summer. In May, it was leaked that the Brazilian allegedly never wanted to play for Real Madrid again. Xabi Alonso assesses the situation with stoic calm: “I know that the end of last season wasn’t easy for him, but he took some important time off to recover. He wasn’t with the national team either. We’ve been talking to each other from the very beginning, and I can see that he’s happy. He’s a player with enormous quality. Now it’s time to put that into practice.
Xabi Alonso doesn’t need to “fire up” his team
Xabi Alonso will have to be patient with another player: Franco Mastantuono. The Argentine prodigy will not join the Royal Club until August 14, his 18th birthday. His soon-to-be coach attests to the River Plate talent’s “fantastic present and brutal future.”
Xabi Alonso is particularly impressed by Mastantuono’s “maturity off the pitch. I was impressed by the conversations I had with him – by his ambition and maturity.”
These are qualities that Xabi Alonso hopes to see from his team at the start of the Club World Cup. He denied that he might have to “fire up” his team after last season. “That has to be demonstrated on the pitch,” said the former Leverkusen coach, adding: “Tomorrow, the rock & roll begins.”
