José Mourinho is clear about it: if there's a coach capable of leading Real Madrid in the future, it's Xabi Alonso. The Portuguese coach, who knows the man from Tolosa well from his time on the white bench, hasn't hesitated to show his support for the signing of the current Bayer Leverkusen coach.
He's done so with a phrase that hasn't gone unnoticed: "He was coached by Guardiola, but he learned with me."
Mourinho's nod isn't a coincidence. Xabi Alonso has already been presented as Real Madrid coach after his excellent work at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga title without losing a single match.
His arrival at Bernabéu has been welcomed with excitement by Madridists, who are already thrilled by statements like "I want people to say they like this team."
Portuguese pride
Mourinho, who was one of the coaches who trusted Xabi the most at Real Madrid, sees him as ready to face the challenge of Bernabéu.
"He was coached by many greats, but with me he understood what it means to feel the pressure to win every day." A phrase full of intention... and a certain pride.
The Portuguese coach also threw a veiled jab: "He was coached by Guardiola, but what really shaped him was Real Madrid and their demands." Mourinho doesn't hide that he believes Xabi Alonso's competitive character was forged more at Bernabéu than in Bayern's locker room.
Xabi Alonso has it all
Mourinho's words come at a key moment. His figure represents the perfect balance between respect for the club's history and new soccer ideas.
The new Real Madrid coach has been congratulated by Florentino Pérez in private. In addition, the heavyweights in the locker room see him as a natural leader. Mourinho, one of his mentors, now joins the chorus of voices calling for his arrival.
Mourinho especially values his experience in Spain, England, and Germany, always under the orders of great coaches: "His father was a coach, then he became a player, a great player. His position on the field and his knowledge of the game is very high."
These are statements rescued from the past in which he emphasizes the fact that "he played in Spain, in England, and in Germany. He was coached by Guardiola at Bayern, by me at Real Madrid, by Ancelotti, by Benítez at Liverpool. If you put all this together, I think Xabi has the conditions to be a very good coach."