How Xabi Alonso made his rapid rise from rookie coach to Real Madrid

Few players person a CV to lucifer Xabi Alonso's. Not lone did helium triumph aggregate trophies astatine 3 of Europe's biggest clubs -- Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich -- but helium besides anchored the midfield successful Spain's aureate era, winning the FIFA World Cup and 2 UEFA European Championships.

He was coached by immoderate of this century's elite managers: Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, José Mourinho and Rafa Benítez. Everybody loved playing with Alonso: former Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has called him "royalty" and "the champion cardinal midfielder I ever played alongside."

Now, little than 3 years into his vocation arsenic a top-level coach, Alonso is leaving Bayer Leverkusen to instrumentality to Real Madrid, the astir pressurized occupation successful satellite football. He does truthful having made his sanction by winning the 2023-24 Bundesliga rubric without losing a azygous crippled and with an exciting, aggravated and effectual benignant of play. In different words, he's earned it.

"Xabi is 1 of the champion coaches I've ever had," Spain guardant Borja Iglesias, who was portion of Leverkusen's title-winning squad, told ESPN. That sentiment is shared by everyone ESPN spoke with who has worked with Alonso during his abbreviated but palmy coaching career, shedding airy connected however helium has risen truthful rapidly to the ranks of the game's apical managers.

Elite subordinate to rookie coach

When Rafa Benítez took implicit arsenic manager of Liverpool successful the summertime of 2004, aft winning his 2nd LaLiga rubric with Valencia, helium made Alonso 1 of his archetypal signings, bringing him successful from Real Sociedad for a £10.5 cardinal transportation fee. Nine months later, the midfielder scored successful the Champions League last to assistance Liverpool assistance the trophy.

"Normally you person immoderate players successful your teams that you tin spot arsenic a coach, down the mentality that they have," Benítez told ESPN. "Xabi was a clever player, and you could deliberation 'yeah, helium volition beryllium a coach.' How bully helium tin beryllium -- you ne'er know."

Luis García, present an ESPN analyst, arrived astatine Liverpool connected the aforesaid time arsenic Alonso arsenic portion of Benítez's Spanish revolution. "He was already acting similar a manager erstwhile helium was astatine Liverpool," García told ESPN. "You could spot that helium was already sending messages to the players, putting them successful the close positions, telling them what to do.

"He was an hold of the manager, some Luis Aragonés [with Spain] and Rafa Benítez. He was ever successful the close position, ever knowing what was needed. You thought that if helium went into coaching, he'd bash a bully job. He has the temperament to negociate situations, helium has acquisition arsenic a player. He learned from the champion captains, and he's learned from the champion coaches."

After retiring successful 2017, Alonso didn't hold agelong to prosecute a vocation successful management. In April 2018 helium began studying for UEFA's A and B coaching licenses, taking six weeks of intensive classes astatine the office of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) among a star-studded radical that included aboriginal Barcelona brag Xavi Hernández and Madrid's reserve-team manager Raúl González.

Later that year, helium took his archetypal job. Many erstwhile apical players are parachuted instantly -- and often prematurely -- into a presumption astatine an elite club, for which they are often ill-prepared. Not Alonso. His archetypal coaching relation was with Real Madrid's Infantil A, the under-14s. Two of the young players from his 2018-19 squad -- Jacobo Ramón and Chema Andrés -- person conscionable made their breakthrough into Madrid's archetypal squad this season, with Ramón scoring a melodramatic precocious victor against Mallorca connected his archetypal league commencement successful May to hold Barça's rubric celebrations. Another, Álex Jiménez, is impressing astatine AC Milan.

"It was astir taking the close steps," García said. "It's thing that comes with [Xabi's] personality. He ne'er rushed his career... He's Xabi Alonso. I'm definite determination were a batch of teams acceptable to person him, but helium decided to spell to the Real Madrid academy first, past to Real Sociedad: teams that helium knows, and tin control, and determine however to bash things, and besides marque mistakes."

Alonso is from Tolosa, a municipality successful the Basque Country not acold from San Sebastián. He began his vocation arsenic a subordinate there, astatine Real Sociedad, helping the squad decorativeness 2nd successful LaLiga earlier joining Liverpool successful 2004. When it was clip for his archetypal determination successful absorption extracurricular of Madrid's Valdebebas academy, helium took complaint of La Real's reserve team, Sanse, successful June 2019.

When Alonso arrived, right-back Álex Petxarroman -- calved and raised successful San Sebastián -- was already portion of the squad. "He's ever been an idol astatine La Real," Petxarroman, who present plays for Deportivo La Coruña successful Spain's 2nd division, told ESPN. "My archetypal content was 'wow.' A satellite champion, a champion successful everything, comes to manager you. There were a fewer nerves, waiting to spot what helium would beryllium like. But erstwhile helium arrived, it was each precise easy."

In Spain, reserve teams vie successful the aforesaid league operation arsenic archetypal teams, with the caveat that they cannot beryllium promoted to the aforesaid level arsenic their elder counterparts. In Alonso's archetypal season, Sanse finished 5th successful their radical successful Segunda B, the regionalized 3rd tier of Spanish football. A play later, 2020-21, they were promoted arsenic champions, reaching the 2nd tier for the archetypal clip successful 60 years, and for lone the 2nd clip successful the club's history.

Petxarroman played an important relation that season, captaining the side. "[Alonso] is adjacent to the players," helium said. "He connects with you easily. Everyone speaks good of him astatine the clubs he's been at.

"I retrieve erstwhile we won promotion, it was precise emotional. I'd had a atrocious wounded the twelvemonth before, a cruciate [ligament tear]. He's the manager who got the astir imaginable retired of me, the manager who knew however to get my champion shot retired of me. The speech we had connected the pitch, conscionable aft we won promotion, has truly stayed with me."

Real Sociedad's first-team squad is present packed with homegrown talent, and immoderate of the players from Alonso's procreation are present first-team regulars, similar midfielders Jon Olasagasti (21 LaLiga appearances this season), Beñat Turrientes (19) and defender Jon Pacheco (13).

Petxarroman says Alonso articulated his coaching philosophy, adjacent then. "His teams privation the ball, but they besides privation to beryllium direct," helium tells ESPN. "The archetypal press, erstwhile you suffer possession, has to beryllium intense. That's what helium conveyed to america the most. He has a batch of ideas successful his caput -- for however helium wants his squad to play, with a batch of tactical variations -- but the astir important principles are those."

It's what you'd expect from a pupil of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, taking a small of each: tactically flexible, exhaustive and demanding, but besides an astute, understated man-manager.

"I retrieve 1 day, we were talking," Petxarroman said, "and helium was telling maine that the mode I was grooming wasn't the best. He said I needed to bid each time astatine 100% to get to the highest level. He told maine I had a immense potential, but my mode of grooming wasn't the best. That often comes to my head. It changed my mode of training. I wasn't truthful relaxed, I started to springiness a batch more."

Sanse were relegated from the 2nd part successful 2021-22, but determination was nary disapproval of Alonso. He was already becoming a manager whose benignant mimicked his playing outlook: technical, eye-catching and with a tactical accent -- not ever the lawsuit erstwhile a apical subordinate moves into coaching. After 3 years backmost successful San Sebastián, it was clip for his adjacent step. -- AK

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Keller: Bayer Leverkusen person done thing genuinely remarkable

Kasey Keller reacts to Bayer Leverkusen winning their archetypal Bundesliga rubric with 5 games near to play.

Transforming Leverkusen into invincibles

For overmuch of its existence, Bayer Leverkusen has been the prototypical nearly club. It produced bully players and bully seasons, but reliably came up conscionable abbreviated of immoderate existent glory -- hence the infamous nickname "Neverkusen." After two-and-a-half years and 3 trophies, however, Alonso leaves down a nine transformed.

Alonso deftly steered Leverkusen retired of the relegation portion erstwhile helium arrived successful October 2022, earlier establishing his ain marque of football. He held backmost astir of the much analyzable ideas for his archetypal preseason erstwhile the existent tactical enactment began, with circumstantial grooming exercises to conception a possession-based system.

Then, successful 2023-24 -- Alonso's archetypal afloat play successful complaint of a elder squad -- the Werkself yet won a Bundesliga rubric aft 45 years successful the apical flight, arsenic good arsenic the German Cup. They claimed that home treble without losing a azygous crippled -- their lone decision of the full play came successful the last of the Europa League.

They couldn't prolong that this season, finishing 2nd to Bayern Munich successful the league and falling successful disappointing manner to them successful the Champions League circular of 16. But the elemental information that Alonso stayed for different play aft the 2024 breakthrough, contempt openings astatine -- and wide involvement from -- 2 of his erstwhile clubs (Bayern and Liverpool), reinforced Leverkusen's caller presumption arsenic Germany's second-best team.

While definite principles were non-negotiable -- you would astir ne'er spot a hoof-it-and-hope agelong ball, for illustration -- Alonso's attack was marked arsenic overmuch arsenic thing by its flexibility. Leverkusen finished matches with a possession complaint nether 50% successful astir 20% of matches, and had implicit 65% of the shot successful 32% of games, but they inactive averaged 2.19 points per crippled successful his tenure erstwhile enjoying little than 50% possession, for example, and 2.15 erstwhile implicit that mark. They could counterattack, but they didn't person to. They could ratchet up choky antiaircraft unit with counter-pressing and a precocious antiaircraft line, but they lone did it erstwhile the juncture called for it.

This flexibility could backfire astatine times: Alonso was not immune to overthinking his lineup present and there, and his power from a three-man backmost enactment to 4 against Bayern and successful respective UEFA matches bore mixed results. But erstwhile Plan A didn't work, Leverkusen usually had relentless, clutch play to trust on. During his tenure they enjoyed a plus-32 extremity differential from the 80th infinitesimal onward; that includes an unthinkable 34-5 borderline successful each competitions successful 2023-24. They saved a astir season-long unbeaten streak successful stoppage clip connected what felt similar countless occasions. As overmuch arsenic the fittingness grooming his unit introduced contributed to truthful galore precocious wins, it was the coach's unwavering assurance and his players' content successful him that pushed them implicit the enactment successful truthful galore captious moments.

Obviously, the unit helped. Alonso signed Granit Xhaka successful 2023 to beryllium his midfield general. The erstwhile Arsenal captain's experience, backed up by stalwart cardinal defenders Jonathan Tah and Edmond Tapsoba, helped players specified arsenic Victor Boniface, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz thrive and make into immoderate of Europe's astir breathtaking young attacking talents. Alonso had what seemed similar the cleanable unit for his vision, but helium besides made immoderate of that unit perfect. Before Alonso, neither Frimpong oregon his chap wingback Alejandro Grimaldo, for example, had produced attacking numbers anyplace adjacent to their Leverkusen output, and Wirtz's ain improvement went into overdrive nether Alonso's guidance.

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Moreno: Alonso recovered a 'master plan' for Leverkusen's unthinkable season

Ale Moreno praises Xabi Alonso aft winning a home treble with Bayer Leverkusen.

In immoderate ways, it's casual to hide that hiring Alonso felt astir risky. He had not managed successful a apical part before, and portion Leverkusen apt weren't superior relegation candidates successful 2022-23, they were inactive 17th successful the league array erstwhile helium arrived. But managing manager Simon Rolfes seemed to instantly cognize that helium had recovered a kindred spirit.

"We already had rather bully accusation -- investigation astir however helium plays, what we could expect, however it would acceptable our players, his personality, however helium is arsenic a idiosyncratic -- and the idiosyncratic speech I had with him confirmed this," Rolfes told ESPN past year. "He could summation [experience] here, and we arsenic a nine could besides enactment him. I deliberation that's besides important: We person a good, unchangeable club. We person a bully coaching unit present who tin assistance him, precise bully guys. And past successful my position, my narration with him, I person to enactment him."

Others astatine the nine were besides convinced that Alonso's aura and acquisition arsenic a player, being a precise intelligent and positionally alert midfielder, could marque him the cleanable prime contempt making specified a large measurement up.

"Simon and Xabi spot shot similarly, wanting to person power of the game," Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro told ESPN past year. "Both were midfielders who played the aforesaid position. What convinced maine was Xabi's analytical skills, however helium analyzed a situation, what helium thought was needed, what helium learned from antithetic coaches, truthful I had the content helium ever wanted to learn. His quality to instrumentality his experiences arsenic a subordinate and enactment them into his relation arsenic a coach. He's intelligent, calm, ambitious."

In Leverkusen, Alonso recovered a nine that matched his ambition. "There are bigger clubs," helium said pursuing the team's archetypal lucifer aft his departure was announced, "but we each attraction astir the nine and the fans, the radical from the club. We privation to marque things right, and we look aft each other, and we look aft the nine -- we privation to bash it the close way.

"So with that attitude, with that mindset, you consciousness bully here. It's a large club, and it has been large for me, and it has been large for truthful galore players on the history. And it's going to beryllium continuing." -- BC

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Xabi Alonso receives lasting ovation successful affectional Leverkusen farewell

The Leverkusen assemblage salutes Xabi Alonso successful his past location lucifer earlier departing astatine the extremity of the season.

What he'll bring to Real Madrid

"What has been the cardinal for maine [at Leverkusen] is the players," Alonso said. "I person had their conviction, their belief. They gave maine the privilege -- 'Yes, we privation to travel you.' They believe, 'Yes, this tin work,' and they effort to travel and judge what we are doing."

With his acquisition successful Madrid, Alonso knows precisely what he's getting himself into, and his assured demeanor and way grounds surely suggest his imaginable determination is high. But achieving the aforesaid level of buy-in and tactical flexibility volition inactive beryllium tricky astatine a nine employing astatine slightest 3 players -- Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham -- with Ballon d'Or ambitions.

It volition besides beryllium tricky with the unit Real Madrid presently person successful non-attacking positions. The expected summation of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (another subordinate whose stated purpose is to triumph the Ballon d'Or) could relationship for the status of Toni Kroos past summer; the nine didn't motion a like-for-like replacement, and the interaction of his nonaccomplishment was felt successful presumption of violative modulation and wide attacking stability. Alexander-Arnold isn't a nonstop replacement either, but helium is the champion passing full-back successful the sport, and his summation would mean Alonso wouldn't person to inquire rather arsenic overmuch of 33-year-old Dani Carvajal.

It's bully that Real Madrid volition bash plentifulness of precise beauteous things successful attack, but their antiaircraft operation moving guardant is inactive precise overmuch unknown. Even astatine 32 years old, center-back Antonio Rüdiger remains susceptible of putting successful a 4,000-minute season, but Madrid rather simply weren't bully capable astatine the backmost successful 2024-25. Ancelotti had to chiefly marque bash with a center-back rotation of Rüdiger, 22-year aged Raúl Asencio, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and oft-injured Éder Militão and David Alaba. In the Champions League -- the tourney by which Real Madrid measures itself -- they ranked 29th retired of 36 teams successful shots allowed per possession (0.145) and 18th successful xG allowed per changeable (0.16). In six knockout-phase matches, they conceded 10 goals, including 5 implicit the 2 legs of their quarterfinal nonaccomplishment to Arsenal.

Madrid's buildup play was inactive comparatively sound, however, and Alonso should beryllium capable to physique connected that. If you could not disrupt the travel of the shot against Alonso's Leverkusen, thing other mattered. Leverkusen averaged astatine slightest 7.5 passes per possession successful 45% of his matches there, and they averaged 2.57 points per crippled successful those matches, losing lone 2 successful astir 3 seasons. When averaging nether 7.5 passes per possession, they managed a decent but unspectacular 1.82 points per crippled successful his tenure.

The statistic amusement intelligibly however Alonso likes to attack:

Leverkusen created astatine slightest 3 buildup attacks (sequences with 10 oregon much passes that extremity successful a changeable oregon a interaction wrong the box) successful 57% of Alonso's matches and averaged 2.38 points per crippled erstwhile they deed that people (compared to 1.85 points per crippled erstwhile they didn't).

They created astatine slightest six buildup attacks successful 28% of his matches and averaged 2.69 points per crippled successful those matches.

When they averaged astatine slightest 4.1 passes per series (67% of the time), they averaged 2.38 points per crippled versus 1.69 erstwhile they didn't.

In games with less than 90 possessions (60% of Alonso's matches), they averaged 2.37 points per crippled versus 1.84 successful the others.

Opponents allowed implicit 11 passes per antiaircraft enactment successful 88% of Alonso's matches, and Leverkusen averaged 2.21 points per crippled successful those versus 1.69 successful the others.

You person to velocity up and disrupt an Alonso team, and adjacent without Kroos it volition apt beryllium hard to propulsion Real Madrid disconnected of their passing bushed erstwhile Alonso has installed his patterns of play.

"He likes the possession, and Real Madrid is utilized to having possession," Benítez said. "So helium volition person bully players, technically bully players, and they tin bash things successful the mode that helium wants to bash it. They volition person much control. They volition beryllium connected apical of the different teams. And helium has been doing that with Leverkusen for a mates of years."

However, he'll inactive person to fig retired however to unit the contented astatine times contempt having possibly the slightest pressing-friendly forwards successful the sport. Among Champions League teams, Real Madrid ranked 31st successful shot recoveries per lucifer (38.0) and 27th successful precocious turnovers forced (8.8) this season. Alonso had truthful galore tactical cards to play successful Leverkusen, and contempt the epic endowment helium volition person astatine his disposal, it's not a warrant that he'll find the aforesaid flexibility successful Madrid. Of course, helium mightiness not request that flexibility if Plan A works good enough. -- BC

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The questions Xabi Alonso needs Real Madrid to answer

Gab Marcotti says Xabi Alonso should beryllium asking questions of Real Madrid earlier helium commits to replacing Carlo Ancelotti.

What he'll inherit astatine Real Madrid

At Leverkusen, Alonso inherited a nine and a acceptable of players that were bare for success. At Real Madrid, occurrence is expected astatine each times. If you don't win, you're out, nary substance who you are. Alonso becomes the seventh erstwhile Real Madrid subordinate to instrumentality the reins astatine the club; lone one, Zinedine Zidane, lasted much than a year-and-a-half successful charge.

"Everybody's expecting that you person to win," said Benítez, who spent a full of astir 2 decades astatine Real Madrid arsenic a subordinate successful the club's academy and successful assorted coaching positions. "Finishing 2nd means nothing. So you cognize that you person to triumph and you cognize that you person to woody with the unit each day, due to the fact that that is the lone way. Xabi has been astatine Liverpool, winning, and past helium has been astatine Real Madrid and Bayern. So helium knows what unit means astatine this level."

Still, successful galore ways, Alonso arrives astatine Real Madrid astatine the cleanable time. Everybody accepts that the squad person underperformed. That's wherefore Ancelotti is leaving, a twelvemonth earlier his declaration was owed to expire.

Madrid extremity the play without a large trophy -- missing retired successful the Champions League, LaLiga and the Copa del Rey -- for the archetypal clip since 2021. They've been beaten 4 times by Barcelona successful 3 competitions: 4-0 and 4-3 successful LaLiga, 3-2 successful the Copa del Rey last and 5-2 successful the Spanish Supercopa. They've besides mislaid to Athletic Club, Espanyol, Real Betis and Valencia successful the league and to Lille, AC Milan, Liverpool and Arsenal successful Europe. The country for improvement, successful presumption of results, is evident.

By Ancelotti's ain admission, helium has failed to marque this radical an effectual unit. "It's been a occupation of balance," the manager admitted aft the triumph implicit Mallorca, his archetypal crippled since it was announced helium would instrumentality implicit arsenic Brazil coach. Finding a mode to acceptable Mbappé into a broadside that already contained Vini Jr., Bellingham and Rodrygo, without fatally compromising the team's antiaircraft integrity.

Ancelotti has tried each season, making a fig of switches -- the astir effectual being an out-of-possession 4-4-2, with Bellingham and Rodrygo helping retired successful midfield -- without sustained success. This is an inviting accidental for a manager with wide tactical ideas, and a beardown property and mandate to enforce them.

Sources told ESPN that Alonso was keen to instrumentality complaint of the squad up of the FIFA Club World Cup arsenic it would springiness him much clip with the players to instrumentality his ideas up of the 2025-26 season. There is conscionable implicit a period betwixt the extremity of the Club World Cup connected July 13 and the apt commencement day for the adjacent LaLiga campaign.

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How would Trent acceptable successful astatine Real Madrid with Alonso successful charge?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens sermon however Trent Alexander-Arnold mightiness acceptable successful astatine Real Madrid if Xabi Alonso is named arsenic Carlo Ancelotti's replacement.

The challenges are considerable. Mbappé and Vini Jr., 2 players who similar the near of the attack, indispensable comprise an effectual beforehand two. There are already signs of this: Mbappé's chapeau instrumentality successful Madrid's 4-3 nonaccomplishment to Barcelona connected May 11 included 2 goals assisted by Vini Jr. But the pair's off-the-ball enactment -- famously, they are the 2 outfield players who person spent astir clip walking successful LaLiga this play -- indispensable beryllium addressed.

There is the contented of Bellingham, whose stellar debut play has been followed by a much hard follow-up. Bellingham scored 19 league goals successful 2023-24, but lone 8 successful 2024-25. He inactive plays with protective strapping connected a enarthrosis helium dislocated successful November 2023. At immoderate point, the question of whether the midfielder needs country volition person to beryllium addressed.

And past determination is Rodrygo, who sources person told ESPN has grown bushed of being utilized arsenic a makeweight successful onslaught and wants to beryllium picked connected the near wing, wherever helium feels helium is astir effective. Rodrygo's entourage person made this wide to nine president Florentino Pérez; it remains to beryllium seen if Alonso volition assistance his wish. Rodrygo wants to perceive from the caller manager earlier taking immoderate decisions connected his future.

Further back, the midfield needs work, but it's not yet wide if that volition mean caller signings. Sources person told ESPN that figures wrong the nine judge successful the imaginable of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, though neither has yet made a midfield presumption their own, and the squad has continued to trust this play connected 39-year-old Luka Modric with 25 starts successful each competitions. Modric, the nine captain, is retired of declaration this summer.

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Marcotti: Huijsen's £50m transportation clause 'like a escaped transfer'

Gab Marcotti talks astir Dean Huijsen's reported transportation to Real Madrid from Bournemouth.

The team's vulnerability astatine the backmost this play is an issue, with 38 goals conceded successful LaLiga truthful far, the highest tally since 2019. Sources person told ESPN that an acceptance that some prime and numbers are needed successful defense. Only the timing of Alexander-Arnold's accomplishment needs to beryllium finalized, portion Madrid person already announced the signing of Spain center-back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. They are keen to motion a left-back, and sources person told ESPN they person looked astatine bringing successful Benfica's Álvaro Carreras, though his imaginable transportation interest is higher than Madrid would like.

So Alonso volition already person an improved squad to enactment with. Sources person told ESPN that Ancelotti was keen for the squad to beryllium strengthened past summer, and successful January, but helium wasn't heeded; Alonso volition person the reinforcements his predecessor did not. And the Club World Cup, portion arriving sooner than Alonso mightiness like, gives him an aboriginal accidental -- successful a competitory environment, but with little unit than he'd look successful a much established tourney -- to present results and tangible signs of progress.

Madrid presents a unsocial challenge; obscurity are expectations higher, and this play has laid bare a squad with deep, structural flaws. "He's got a batch of enactment to do," García said. "[It's been] a precise pugnacious year. With each the injuries, who's going to travel backmost successful bully condition? Militão has had 2 ACL [tears], Carvajal isn't getting immoderate younger. They are 2 pillars of the team, 2 leaders, and you request them. Will Madrid and Florentino Pérez let him to physique his squad the mode Leverkusen did, deciding which players volition arrive, and the strategy to beryllium played?"

But speaking to radical who cognize and person worked with Alonso, the statement is that helium has the coaching abilities to succeed. "He has the quality to analyse and hole for games, but helium besides has the quality to get done to players," Celta Vigo and Spain guardant Borja Iglesias, who spent six months connected indebtedness astatine Leverkusen told ESPN. "He has immense charisma ... Above all, we connected arsenic people. He helped maine to beryllium myself. I deliberation he's 1 of the large coaches I've had successful my career."

And, possibly much importantly, his past with Real Madrid means helium knows what awaits him erstwhile helium takes implicit astatine the Bernabéu. "He knows the environment, helium knows the press, helium knows the manager [of football], helium knows the president," Benítez said. "So I deliberation helium has this large acquisition that volition assistance successful the mode that helium volition negociate the team." -- AK

ESPN's Spain newsman Rodrigo Faez, commentator Derek Rae and German shot writer Constantin Eckner contributed to this report