Ancelotti: The doors are open for Alonso at Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti said the “doors are open” for Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid following the news that the Spaniard will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season.

Alonso will call time on a memorable three years with the Bundesliga club, having guided them to their first top-flight title in 2023-24, going unbeaten during that campaign.

The 43-year-old also lifted the DFB-Pokal last season and started the 2024-25 campaign with victory in the DFL-Supercup final against Stuttgart.

Alonso has taken charge of 138 matches across all competitions with Leverkusen, winning 89 (D31 L18).

Following a fine debut season, Alonso signed a contract extension in August 2023 to run to 2026, though Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said they had a “gentleman’s agreement” that would allow Alonso to leave should one of the clubs he played for come calling.

It is expected that Alonso is heading to the Spanish capital to take over from Ancelotti, who has been linked with a move to become the Brazil national team boss.

And Ancelotti, who coached Alonso at Bayern Munich and Madrid, believes he could be a good fit for Los Blancos given his recent success with Leverkusen.

“I read that he’s leaving Bayer Leverkusen,” Ancelotti said. “He’s done an incredible job and the doors are open to him because he’s proven to be one of the best in the world.”