Xabi returns to Real with major challenges ahead

LA LIGA

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XABI Alonso is returning to Real Madrid, with the former midfielder set to take over as head coach from Carlo Ancelotti and lead the team at the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup.

Here, we examine three key areas the 43-year-old Spaniard will need to address in the weeks and months ahead as he seeks to steer Los Blancos back to major trophies, following a season in which they finished empty-handed.

Restore the Balance

Alonso’s predecessor, Ancelotti, spent much of last season lamenting that his team was unbalanced and lacked “collective commitment”. In short, the squad featured too many attackers he felt obliged to fit into the starting line-up, while injuries ravaged the defence, and no replacement was signed for midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired the previous summer.

The arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappé, following the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract in 2024, was a major change for a Madrid side that had previously won the Champions League and La Liga double.