Xabi Alonso declared the commencement of a caller epoch during his authoritative unveiling arsenic the caller manager of Real Madrid.
Alonso, 43, was appointed manager of his erstwhile nine connected a three-year woody connected Sunday, replacing Carlo Ancelotti - who volition instrumentality complaint of the Brazil men's nationalist team.
Madrid endured a disappointing run - surrendering their La Liga rubric to Barcelona, losing to their arch-rivals successful the finals of the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa, and crashing retired of the Champions League to Arsenal successful the quarter-finals.
But during a code astatine Madrid's Valdebebas grooming crushed connected Monday, Alonso said: "It's the commencement of an era."
He added: "The Real Madrid fans are excited to statesman this caller era, to grow, and to marque the past of this nine adjacent greater.
"It's a peculiar day. It's a time I volition person marked successful my calendar for life. I americium precise blessed to beryllium here, successful what I consciousness is my home."
Alonso, who won a league and cupful treble with Bayer Leverkusen successful 2023-24, explained his determination to instrumentality to Madrid 11 years aft helium near the nine arsenic a player.
"We person fantastic players, we person a squad that has a batch of potential, [capable of] a precise bully contiguous and a precise bully future," helium said.
"That gives maine a batch of crushed to travel present with a batch of vigor and a batch of anticipation that I tin get the champion retired of each the players and physique a large team.
"[I have] the condemnation that we tin execute large things, worthy of Real Madrid, worthy of each these European Cups, of each these accomplishments made implicit truthful galore years.
"I privation a squad that transmits emotion, energy, ambitious play and connects with the fans."
Alonso paid tribute to Ancelotti - who won 3 Champions Leagues, 2 Club World Cups and 2 La Liga titles crossed 2 spells with Los Blancos - and besides managed Alonso astatine some Real and Bayern Munich.
"Carlo was my coach, a large idiosyncratic and a immense influence. Without his mastery, I astir apt wouldn't beryllium here," helium said.
"I instrumentality implicit and transportation connected his bequest with large honour and pride."
Alonso volition statesman his tenure connected 1 June, earlier the Fifa Club World Cup adjacent month.
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