Real Madrid have confirmed Xabi Alonso’s departure just eight months after rejoining the Spanish club from Bayer Leverkusen, with him also linked with a stunning return to Liverpool.
Xabi Alonso has been sacked by Real Madrid (Image: Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso believes he could return to Liverpool at some point as the sacked Real Madrid manager considers his next move. The Spanish manager was brutally sacked on Monday night, a day after Real lost to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
His departure came just eight months after returning to the Bernabéu from Bayer Leverkusen. There he won the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup titles in an incredible unbeaten season. He also helped his team reach the Europa League final, but lost to Atalanta.
Before returning to Madrid, Alonso was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, having previously enjoyed glorious days at Anfield as a player.
Asked about the possibility of taking the reins on Merseyside in the future, Alonso did not completely rule out the possibility. “Of course I have ties to my former club, but for now this is where I belong. I don’t know what will happen in the future,” he said at a press conference last month.
read more: Xabi Alonso sacked by Real Madrid following Barcelona defeat and Vinicius scandalread more: Kylian Mbappé slams ‘undignified’ gesture towards Barcelona after Real Madrid defeat
Alonso was also rumored to be moving to Liverpool following the departure of manager Jurgen Klopp. But he was adamant that there was no chance of a switch being flipped.
He added: “At that time, I was focused. I was doing important things with the players and we were really focused on that.”
Current Liverpool manager Arne Slott has already expressed his thoughts on Alonso and appears to be a big fan of his talent. Speaking ahead of the Reds’ Champions League clash with Real Madrid earlier this season, the Dutchman said: “It’s clear he’s special.
Alonso is regularly linked with a return to Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)
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“If you took a club at the bottom of the league and had the same players, you could bring in one or two really good players and finish the season without spending that much money that summer.
“They only lost in the Europa League final, which shows he is special. It’s difficult for me to say what makes him special because I haven’t played against him yet, I haven’t worked with him yet.
“The situation is that he has worked with very good managers in the past, is a player with incredible insight into the game, knows where to be at the time, and has played at the highest level, so he knows and understands how the players are feeling at certain moments.”
“Maybe that’s part of what makes him such a good manager. Why is he so special? The best way to find out is to talk to the players he’s worked with, and I haven’t done that yet.”
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