Real Madrid has transitioned to the Xabi Alonso era quite smoothly. Los Blancos have won consecutive games against Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the FIFA Club World after a draw in Alonso's debut game as manager. They’ve got Juventus next in the round of 16, with the tie kicking off on July 1.
And at the heart of it all is Jude Bellingham the English midfielder who’s barely put a foot wrong since swapping Dortmund yellow for Real Madrid white back in 2023. He’s already racked up 97 games, with 38 goals and 28 assists to his name. Not bad for someone still in his early twenties.
Bellingham’s early journey in Madrid came under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, spending his first two seasons learning from one of the most seasoned managers in the game. Alonso is currently putting a new philosophy into practice, and Bellingham has made clear the main elements he wants to use with the group.
Bellingham stated (h/t GOAL) in an interview with Real Madrid TV: “Xabi believes we shouldn't lose the capacity to attack the goal when we have the chance to speed up the game; we want to take advantage of that. With this new approach, we want to play between the lines and have control. “We want to control the game. Be in charge when it matters.”
Xabi Alonso isn’t just another name in the dugout. He’s been there on the pitch at the heart of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool… and let’s not forget the role he played in that legendary Spanish side that dominated world football.
His coaching journey kicked off at Real Madrid, but it was in Germany where he really made his mark. At Bayer Leverkusen, he pulled off the impossible an unbeaten Bundesliga run that still doesn’t feel real.
And it’s obvious Bellingham holds him in high regard. It’s not just about Alonso’s resume it’s the way he goes about things, the way his love for the game shows in every detail. You can tell there’s real respect there. Talking about their work together, he said:
Xabi has a wonderful manner of communicating with the players and is a very pleasant person. I find that his enthusiasm for football is what draws me to him.
He's always on the go. In order to better observe and experience the game, he moves and participates. You are pulled to a coach's energy when you see him like that.
And that spark Alonso brings? It's already making waves in the dressing room. The squad, used to Ancelotti’s calm, father-figure vibe, now finds itself adjusting to a very different type of presence.
Alonso’s not the kind to just bark orders from the sidelines he’s in it with them. Always moving, pointing things out, clapping, sometimes shouting when needed, but always involved.
Players have quietly admitted it's a breath of fresh air. Some of the senior guys even seemed a bit stunned by how fast his ideas are clicking.
You can feel a shift in how they play too. Ancelotti, for all his success, liked to let the game unfold and then adjust. Alonso? He wants to grab it by the collar and control every beat. The pressing starts higher, and there’s way more intent when they have the ball.
He’s told midfielders like Bellingham to take more risks, drive through the lines, even if it means giving the ball away once in a while. The payoff’s already visible against RB Salzburg, Real racked up 19 shots, and nearly half of them came from deep runners like midfielders and attacking fullbacks. You just didn’t see that kind of directness last season.
Valverde and Camavinga are loving it. Valverde’s got a longer leash now he’s surging forward more, linking up with the attack. Camavinga? Alonso’s using him in those flexible roles he built at Leverkusen.
Sometimes he’s deep in midfield, sometimes tucking inside from fullback to overload the center. It’s clever stuff, and according to Marca, training since mid-June has been focused heavily on movement, rotations, and making sure players don’t just know their job they understand the bigger shape, the full picture.
Off the pitch, Alonso’s already leaving his fingerprints on the club’s plans. He’s not as embedded in the Madrid hierarchy yet like Ancelotti was, but he’s no passenger either.
He’s involved in recruitment now, pushing for a left-footed centre-back to balance out the back line. Real are in early talks with Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori he’s coming off a strong Euro 2024 with Italy, and Alonso likes that he can shift between roles mid-match.
Versatility seems to be a theme with him. He wants players who can adapt, not just specialists.
And then there's Jude. You can see that connection building between player and coach. It’s more than just tactics with Alonso it runs deeper. Bellingham’s often one of the last to leave training, hanging back to chat with the boss.
Sometimes they’re watching clips, breaking down moments from past games. Other times, it’s just football talk ideas, what-ifs, little details that might tilt a match. There’s a real connection there.
There’s a kind of chemistry there, a mutual understanding. It’s got that early Lampard-Mourinho vibe, where coach and player are on the same wavelength, pushing each other to the next level.
Bellingham said it himself the other day Alonso’s got a “football brain” that makes you see the pitch differently. And coming from someone like Jude, who’s already got one of the sharpest minds on the pitch, that says a lot.
Of course, it's not all perfect yet. The high line they’re playing now leaves them a bit exposed, especially on the break. The fullbacks push up, and if the midfield press doesn’t land, there’s space to exploit. It’s a risk. But Alonso’s not losing sleep over it.
He believes if they dominate the ball and stay compact when they lose it, the risk is worth it. Whether that holds up against tougher sides like Juventus on July 1st is the real test.
Still, this doesn’t feel like just another managerial handoff. Something’s shifting. Alonso isn’t coming in to maintain the status quo, he’s here to reshape it. To modernize it. And the scary part for the rest of Europe? The players are already buying in.
With Bellingham right at the heart of it not just out there playing but fully buying into what they’re building it doesn’t really feel like a fresh start. It feels like something that’s already taking shape.
It feels like the beginning of a new era. Maybe even a new dynasty.