- Xabi Alonso held his first session as Real Madrid head coach ahead of the Club World Cup
- Only four senior players trained fully, while nine academy players ed the session
- Real Madrid target Zubimendi has paused talks with Arsenal after learning of Madrid’s interest
Key Takeaways: 702u6s
A new era has begun at Real Madrid. Today, Xabi Alonso led the team for his first training session as head coach of Los Blancos. “I will only have one chance in my life to work as Real Madrid’s coach, and today is the first day,” were Alonso’s first words at the club’s training base in Valdebebas. 144h6v
💼 First day at the office!
📋 @XabiAlonso pic.twitter.com/uHJVtkCMqJ— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 9, 2025
The coach returns to the club 11 years after his playing days in Madrid. He faces a tough start — Alonso must prepare the team for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins at the end of the week.
During the first training session, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager had just four fully fit first-team players available: Fran Garcia, Lucas Vazquez, Dani Ceballos, and Raul Asencio. Also present were several players recovering from injury — Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, and David Alaba, who wore a heavy bandage on his left knee — although they did not train at full intensity. Nine youth players from the club’s academy also ed the session.
Real Madrid are also active on the transfer front as they prepare for the season under Alonso. River Plate president Jorge Brito has indirectly confirmed the expected transfer of Franco Mastantuono to the Spanish giants. The player is considered one of Argentina’s biggest prospects and is expected to complete the move in the coming days.
In midfield, Real are also targeting an experienced reinforcement. According to Marca, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi prefers a move to the Santiago Bernabeu and, upon learning of Real Madrid’s genuine interest, has paused communication with Arsenal.
Zubimendi’s release clause stands at 60 million euros. However, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reportedly plans to avoid paying the full amount by offering Real Sociedad some of Los Blancos’ academy players in return.