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CARLO ANCELOTTI IMPRESSED BY XABI ALONSO’S REAL MADRID INFLUENCE

Carlo Ancelotti defends Xabi Alonso from early criticism at Real Madrid, calling his start "fantastic." The Brazil coach says Alonso has the team performing well and that adapting to intense scrutiny is part of the job at the Bernabeu.

Carlo Ancelotti Impressed by Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid Influence
Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Carlo Ancelotti, the former manager of Real Madrid, shared his thoughts on Xabi Alonso's initial experiences as manager in the Spanish capital. After what appears to be a strong start, the Brazil coach believed that any criticism of Alonso was exaggerated.

With a half-fit squad and a Club World Cup to play in, Alonso arrived under trying circumstances, cutting short his preseason before the current campaign began. Speaking in an interview with Diario AS, Ancelotti agreed with the widespread belief that, when playing, Alonso had seemed like a good coach.

"Yes, Xabi.I also had him at Bayern. An excellent visionary football player. I had faith that he could succeed. And he is doing fantastically.

Ancelotti once said, "One thing I learnt at Madrid is..."

With two losses to Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, the former followed by a tie away to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, Los Blancos have won 13 of their 16 games this season. There was not much more that could be expected of Alonso, according to Ancelotti.

"I am unable to provide him any guidance. Because I want to know how the Brazilians are doing, I watch every Real Madrid game, and I believe the team is performing admirably. They have won nearly all of their games, but football is not necessarily a game you can win. You must occasionally draw.

A draw here is the precursor to a crisis, which is something I discovered while playing for Real Madrid (laughs). Do not make jokes. You must adjust to it. As we already know, results are the best way to assess a coach, and thus far, the outcomes have been outstanding. They are in the top eight of the Champions League and at the top of the league. What more is there to ask of Xabi?

Last season, Alonso resolved a major problem for Real Madrid.


Ancelotti attributed Real Madrid's difficulties in his final season, in part, to injuries, since the team lost all four of its starting backs for significant portions of the year. According to the Italian, losing that strong base was crucial, and Ancelotti believed Alonso would succeed at the Bernabeu.

"Yes, of course. I see a powerful team that is particularly good at the back and on offence. Bellingham is back, and Mbappe is doing great. Xabi can succeed without any issues, in my opinion.

The fact that a large portion of the criticism directed at Alonso's management seems to be coming from the dressing room is perhaps his biggest problem to date, rather than the outcomes. Following Vinicius Junior's tirade, some stories have surfaced indicating that Valdebebas could use some improvement.

WHY FLORENTINO PEREZ ABORTED THE MARC GUEHI DEAL—AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR LIVERPOOL

Real Madrid has reportedly pulled out of the race for Marc Guehi, handing Liverpool a massive boost in their pursuit of the star.

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Madrid Confirm They Won’t Rival Liverpool for Marc Guehi.

Real Madrid isn't planning to grab Marc Guehi in the next transfer window, says DefensaCentral. This is great news for Liverpool, since they've really wanted the Crystal Palace captain for a while now.

Everyone knows Guehi is a top-notch defender in the Premier League. He's just gotten better and better since he left Chelsea for the Eagles in 2021. Because he always plays so well, lots of teams all over Europe are interested in him.

Liverpool almost signed him last summer, but Oliver Glasner stopped the deal. Even though he stayed at Palace then, he won't be there after this season.

His deal ends this season, and Guehi has said he won't be signing a new one. Rumour has it he has a deal with Liverpool to join them for free next summer.

Even though Liverpool seems about to get him, Real Madrid could still try to get him in January. Since Antonio Rudiger's and David Alaba's contracts are ending, the Spanish team wants a new centre-back in 2026.

Real Madrid steps aside in the Guehi chase.

Guehi is their top choice, since Florentino Perez really likes the 25-year-old. Because of his deal with Liverpool, Real Madrid can't wait until summer. Perez would have to jump in and make a move in January to get him.

Palace will probably lose him for free next summer, so they might let him go in the middle of the season. That way, they could get some cash for one of their best players. But even though Real Madrid could try to sign him in January, they probably won't.

Perez doesn't usually like to make moves in the winter. He likes to wait until the end of the season before changing his team much. So, the white team has decided not to sign Guehi.

THE TRENT BLUEPRINT: WHY XABI ALONSO THINKS HE CAN SIGN IBRAHIMA KONATE FOR FREE

Xabi Alonso is reportedly pushing Real Madrid to sign Ibrahima Konate. Can Liverpool keep their star defender from a free exit?

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Konate Rejects Liverpool Extension

Xabi Alonso wants Real Madrid to try and get Liverpool's 26-year-old defender, Ibrahima Konate, on the cheap next year.

A report from Fichajes, a Spanish source, says that Real Madrid's manager, Xabi Alonso, is really pushing the club to sign Ibrahima Konate. The French player's contract is up at the end of the season, and he hasn't signed a new one with Liverpool yet.

Everyone knows Real Madrid needs better defenders. Getting the French guy could really help them out. But some reports say Real Madrid isn't planning on going after Konate.

The French player has proven himself in England and is good enough to do well in La Liga, too. Getting a player this good for free would be a big win for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Liverpool is trying to work out a new contract with him. It will be interesting to see if they can do it in the next few weeks.

Konate can start making deals with other clubs next month. It would be bad for Liverpool if they lost him. They paid around £36 million for him, so losing him for nothing would be a disaster.

The Premier League winners just lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid for free and haven't been able to find a good replacement. They don't want that to happen again.

Liverpool needs to keep Konate.

Liverpool has to do everything it can to get the French player to sign a new deal. They definitely have what it takes to help him reach his goals. The Reds even helped him win the league title last season.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid hasn't been doing so well for over a year. They want to be one of the best teams in Europe again. They need to fix their problems soon, and signing the Liverpool defender would really help.

The French guy is only 26, so he still has a lot of good years ahead of him. He could play great for Real Madrid and help them defend better. David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger aren't getting any younger, and Real Madrid will need to replace them with younger players. Signing the Liverpool defender would make perfect sense.

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