Real Madrid Under Xabi Alonso: The First Season of the Post-Ancelotti Era

Real Madrid enters April 2026 in a fierce La Liga title race with Barcelona, three points off the top in head coach Xabi Alonso's first season. Alonso, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid head coach in June 2025, has led the club through a tactical transition while managing the retirement of several senior figures, including Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

The Spanish title race, currently the tightest since 2022-23, has produced the defining narrative of Alonso's Real Madrid. Barcelona lead with 64 points, Real Madrid have 61, and Atletico Madrid sit third with 52. All three clubs have eight matches remaining. The clasico at Camp Nou on April 13 could determine the title's destination.

The Transition From Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti left Real Madrid in June 2025 after a second successful managerial stint that included three La Liga titles and three Champions League victories. Ancelotti, 65, joined the Brazilian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. His departure removed one of the most successful head coaches in Real Madrid's history and created significant tactical space for Alonso to reshape the squad.

Alonso's immediate changes have been incremental rather than radical. The 4-3-3 formation that Ancelotti favored has been retained, but Alonso has shifted the midfield structure slightly — placing Federico Valverde deeper as a defensive anchor and giving Jude Bellingham more offensive freedom. The tactical evolution has been described by Spanish sports newspaper Marca as "modernization without revolution."

Bellingham's Role

Jude Bellingham's statistical production this season has been the central offensive story. The 22-year-old England international has scored 17 La Liga goals and produced 10 assists, both career highs. His positional flexibility — he has operated as a No. 10, a No. 8, and occasionally as a false-nine — has been a defining feature of Alonso's tactical approach.

Bellingham's finishing rate of 19.4 percent leads La Liga among midfielders with 30-plus shots. His expected-goals conversion — the difference between xG and actual goals — is +4.8, the highest in the league. Alonso told El Pais in March that Bellingham "understands the geography of our attack better than any midfielder I have coached."

Kylian Mbappe's First Full Season

Kylian Mbappe, in his first full Real Madrid season after his August 2024 transfer, has scored 19 La Liga goals and produced 7 assists. His finishing has been characteristically efficient — 34 percent of his shots on target have resulted in goals — though his ability to create chances for teammates has been below the expectations set by his time at Paris Saint-Germain.

The partnership between Mbappe and Bellingham has been inconsistent. The two players' preferences for occupying similar spaces in the attacking third have required tactical adjustment. Alonso has shifted Mbappe to a wider left role when Bellingham pushes into the attacking half, a change that increased Mbappe's dribbling rates but reduced his shot quality.

The Champions League Campaign

Real Madrid's Champions League title defense has advanced to the quarterfinals, where they face Arsenal on April 9 at the Bernabeu. The team's knockout-round performance has been less dominant than in Ancelotti's final season — their round-of-16 victory against Celtic was a 7-2 aggregate that flattered a performance in which they conceded three goals over two legs.

Arsenal's tactical profile presents a specific challenge. Real Madrid's defensive reliance on individual quality — primarily through Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba — has not been tested against pressing-intensive opponents in the Spanish League. Alonso has publicly acknowledged that the Arsenal matchup will be a test of tactical adjustments his staff have been working toward since January.

Midfielder Retirements

Luka Modric's retirement after the Club World Cup in July 2025 and Toni Kroos's retirement in August (following Euro 2024) ended a 10-year partnership that defined Real Madrid's midfield identity. Both players were fundamental to Real Madrid's three Champions League victories between 2015 and 2019 and remained important through 2023-24.

Their replacement — through Bellingham's promotion, Eduardo Camavinga's increased minutes, and the summer signing of Arda Guler's promotion to first-choice creative midfielder — has been managed across the season. The replacement has been competent but not seamless; Modric and Kroos combined for 82 percent pass completion in their final season together, while the current midfield has averaged 78 percent.

Defensive Investment

Real Madrid's defensive signings have been Alonso's specific focus. Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah, signed in August 2025 for €55 million, has been a season-long starter alongside Antonio Rudiger. Tah's passing accuracy of 88 percent and his mean aerial success rate of 72 percent have been praised.

The summer of 2025 also saw the signing of left-back Alphonso Davies from Bayern Munich on a four-year contract. The Canadian international has been one of Real Madrid's standout performers, contributing to 8 goals (2 scored, 6 assisted) while maintaining elite defensive metrics. Davies's speed — 34.6 km/h top speed — ranks first among La Liga defenders.

Contract Situations

Real Madrid's 2025-26 squad has stable contract structures. Mbappe's deal runs through 2029, Bellingham's through 2029, Vinicius Junior's through 2029, and Rodrygo's through 2028. The club's main contract concern is Luka Modric's role following his retirement — he has been offered a director-of-football position but is considering an offer to coach Croatia.

Alonso's own contract runs through June 2027. President Florentino Perez has publicly indicated he expects Alonso to become the club's permanent head coach for "the next decade, if he chooses it." Alonso's personal preferences and family considerations will factor into any decision about his long-term commitment.