Xabi Alonso is returning home this weekend when Real Madrid travels north to play Real Sociedad in La Liga. For the new Los Blancos boss, the trip to San Sebastián is not just another fixture — it is a return to the club where his story began.
Alonso came through Real Sociedad’s youth academy at Zubieta, made over 100 first-team appearances, and even lifted the club into the Champions League before embarking on a glittering career with Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. Later, he cut his teeth in management with La Real’s B team, laying the foundations for a coaching career that saw him guide Bayer Leverkusen to a historic Bundesliga title before returning to Madrid this summer.
Madrid’s flying start under Xabi Alonso
The 42-year-old has enjoyed a perfect opening month at the Bernabéu, with Real Madrid winning all three of their league games in August. Early signs suggest Alonso has already stamped his identity on the team.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid often leaned on moments of brilliance from individuals. By contrast, Xabi Alonso has placed greater emphasis on collective play. His Madrid side press with intensity after losing possession, look to dominate the ball with short, sharp combinations, and suffocate opponents in their own half. It may not yet have translated into an avalanche of goals, but there is a renewed sense of control and balance in their performances.
New beginnings at Sociedad
There is also change in the dugout at Real Sociedad. With long-serving coach Imanol Alguacil stepping aside, Sergio Francisco has stepped up from within the club’s coaching pathway. Francisco and Alonso share a history: they overlapped at Zubieta, with Alonso in charge of Sanse (La Real’s B team) while Francisco worked with Eibar C.
“It was a pleasure to share a dressing room with him,” Francisco told Marca. “Xabi has changed things at Madrid. You can see they want the ball more, they press more aggressively, and there’s a greater sense of balance. They dominate matches in a different way.”
Emotional but competitive
For Xabi Alonso, the visit to Anoeta will carry plenty of sentiment, but he knows sentimentality cannot overshadow the task at hand. Real Madrid are chasing their first league title in three years and cannot afford early slip-ups, especially with Barcelona and Atlético lurking close behind.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, will be eager to spoil the homecoming of their famous son and underline that their own rebuild remains on track.
