📸 Xabi Alonso, Spain footballer: Photo Gallery (Photo: 10)

📄 Summary

Xabi Alonso

Spain

25 November 1981

midfielder

11.6M @xabialonso Xabi Alonso Instagram

Xabi Alonso is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of Real Madrid. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, he was known for his exceptional passing range and long-distance shooting. Alonso is also currently considered to be one of the best young managers in the world.

Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home province Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar, he was appointed as team captain of Real Sociedad and finished runner-up in La Liga in 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in 2004 for £10.5 million and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season, scoring in the final. He later won the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. Alonso moved to Real Madrid in 2009 in a deal worth £30 million and won La Liga, two Copa del Rey titles, and another UEFA Champions League. He joined German club Bayern Munich in 2014 and won three Bundesliga titles, including a domestic double in his second season, and retired in 2017.

He made his international debut for Spain in April 2003 and went on to win the European Championship twice in 2008 and 2012, as well as the 2010 World Cup. He also represented Spain at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. On 23 June 2012, Alonso won his 100th cap for Spain in the quarter-final of Euro 2012 against France, where he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory. Alonso retired from international football after the 2014 World Cup. His 114 appearances make him the eighth-most capped player in Spain's history.

Alonso coached Real Madrid's U14 team before being appointed as manager of Real Sociedad B in 2019, where he won promotion to the Segunda División in his second season. Alonso was named head coach of Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and completed an unprecedented unbeaten domestic double in 2024, winning the club's first ever Bundesliga title and first DFB-Pokal since 1993. After two-and-a-half years with the German side, Alonso was appointed as the new head coach of his former club Real Madrid in June 2025. In January 2026 he and Real Madrid parted ways.

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📋 Profile & Career

: Alonso with Real Madrid in 2025

⚽ Personal information:
Full name: Xabier Alonso Olano
Date of birth: (1981-11-25) 25 November 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth: Tolosa, Spain
Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position: Midfielder

⚽ Youth career:
1990–1999: Antiguoko

⚽ Senior career*:
Years: Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000: Real Sociedad B 39 (2)
2000–2004: Real Sociedad 114 (9)
2000–2001: → Eibar (loan) 14 (0)
2004–2009: Liverpool 143 (15)
2009–2014: Real Madrid 158 (4)
2014–2017: Bayern Munich 79 (5)
Total: 547 (35)

⚽ International career:
2000: Spain U18 1 (0)
2002–2003: Spain U21 9 (0)
2001–2012: Basque Country 5 (0)
2003–2014: Spain 114 (16)

⚽ Managerial career:
2019–2022: Real Sociedad B
2022–2025: Bayer Leverkusen
2025–2026: Real Madrid

📰 Google News (RSS)

Xabi Alonso failed to control Real Madrid’s egos in brief and bitter reign - The Guardian

Xabi Alonso failed to control Real Madrid’s egos in brief and bitter reign  The Guardian
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid sacking: The full inside story, from Perez’s power to Vinicius Jr’s outburst - The Athletic  The New York Times
Jürgen Klopp: Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid exit 'nothing to do with me'  ESPN
Xabi Alonso publishes farewell letter to Real Madrid  Managing Madrid
Why was Alonso sacked by Real Madrid, and who’s their new manager Arbeloa?  Al Jazeera
‘I Did My Best’—Xabi Alonso Breaks Silence on Real Madrid Exit  Sports Illustrated
Xabi Alonso releases statement following shock sacking from Real Madrid  The Independent
The Rondo, Real Madrid edition: Who was responsible for Xabi Alonso’s sacking - and did Kylian Mbappé make a mistake joining Los Blancos?  Goal.com
Kylian Mbappe sends Xabi Alonso message after Real Madrid firing amid Liverpool return links  Liverpool.com

✐ The Guardian
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:51:00 GMT

Named: The Arsenal star Xabi Alonso wanted to sign who left his Real Madrid reign 'doomed from the start' - Daily Mail