\n<\/p>\n
After cutting his managerial teeth with Real Sociedad’s reserve team, Alonso moved to Germany and broke Bayern Munich’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga.<\/p>\n
Leading Leverkusen to their first league title convinced Real president Florentino Perez that Alonso – who made 236 appearances for Los Blancos between 2009 and 2014 – is ready to return and reinvigorate a tired team.<\/p>\n
And Perez is not alone in that view. Former Real and Spain winger Victor Sanchez del Amo is among those greatly impressed – but not particularly surprised – by Alonso’s exploits to date.<\/p>\n
Del Amo points out that Alonso played under an array of the modern era’s greatest coaches: Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho at Real; Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich; Rafa Benitez at Liverpool; Vicente del Bosque and Luis Aragones with the Spanish national team.<\/p>\n
“Xabi has learned from some of the best coaches in history, so he can take all their ideas and mix them together,” he told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“He also had a strong influence at home during his childhood, because his father Periko was a great player for Real Sociedad.<\/p>\n
“Even as a player, you knew Xabi would become a manager because he was like a coach on the pitch.”<\/p>\n
However, there is also a warning – success is expected to come instantly.<\/p>\n
“For Real Madrid, every title is important,” warned Del Amo, who came through Real’s youth ranks to win La Liga and the Champions League before becoming a legend at Deportivo La Coruna, taking another league title in 2000.<\/p>\n
“Real is the club with the most international titles in the world. Every time they play a competition, the target is to win it. It’s a very difficult club.<\/p>\n
“Already in Spain they are saying there’s a bad omen for Xabi because you have to go back to Del Bosque [who led Real to the Champions League in 2002] to find a successful Spanish coach at the Bernabeu.<\/p>\n
“So they are putting that kind of pressure on him.”<\/p>\n
Leading his team to a world title might sound like an unfair demand on a new manager just a handful of weeks after his arrival. But at Real Madrid, handling those expectations is part of the job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n