All of Xabi Alonso's duties at Real Madrid: injuries and the Club World Cup, the Rodrygo case, and reinforcements for the defense.

When the King is dead, long live the King. Xabi Alonso will take over at Real Madrid on June 1st, after the final La Liga matchday and the well-deserved tribute to Carlo Ancelotti , the most successful coach in the club's history. The Italian, after announcing on Monday that Brazil will be his new coach, will receive the affection of the Santiago Bernabéu in the match against Real Sociedad (or tomorrow against Mallorca) and will then focus on his new destination: the Brazilian national team, which, barring any changes, he will manage in June. In his place will come the Tolosa native, who led Bayer Leverkusen to German glory and who arrives with a lot of work to do, with some contractual issues, injuries, and with a Club World Cup that will be the first step in his journey as manager at Chamartín, where he will sign a three-year contract.

The Bundesliga ends this weekend, a few days before La Liga, so Alonso will be in Madrid early next week to plan and manage his new spell at Valdebebas and in the Spanish capital. He will be joined by his agent, Iñaki Ibáñez , who also manages Mikel Arteta, Ernesto Valverde, and Andoni Iraola , among others, and the team he worked with in Germany.

Sebas Parrilla , with whom he has been since he started training at Madrid's youth academy, will be his assistant, and Alberto Encinas , with a past at Barcelona, ​​will be his trusted fitness coach. While waiting to meet more members of his new team, this leaves the situation of Antonio Pintus , Real Madrid's fitness coach and Florentino Pérez 's star signing in 2021, even before Ancelotti's arrival, in doubt. Luis Llopis , the goalkeeping coach, will keep his position.

Once the bench is sorted, it's time for the locker room, with many issues at stake. On one hand, Alonso will arrive at an atypical and far from ideal time. The season is still underway, with an international break that will send almost the entire squad back to their respective countries. In the first few days, Valdebebas will be empty. The injured players— Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Alaba, Mendy, Camavinga and company—and non-international players like Lucas Vázquez will be there.

The Nations League Final Four, for example, featuring Germany, Portugal, Spain, and France, will be held on June 4, 5, and 8, and Modric 's Croatia will play on the 6 and 9 of the same month. The internationals will return to travel directly to the United States, with a flight planned for the 14th. In other words, Alonso will have little time between his arrival and the trip to the United States, so the World Cup becomes the obligatory preseason for Real Madrid. A full month (if they reach the final) between Miami and New York. The first 15 days will be key for the initial coexistence and for the Basque player to lay the foundations for his leadership.

All this in front of a tired dressing room after a grueling season, which began last August with the European Super Cup in Warsaw and could end on July 13 in New York. Eleven months in which they have won two titles but lost three, each one in harsher fashion, with Barça, their great rival, scoring 16 goals in the four Clásicos. Recovering morale will be almost more important than fitness in the new coach's first few weeks, as he will first look at the injured players. Rüdiger should be back for the tournament, but Mendy and Camavinga are ruled out. With Carvajal, meanwhile, there is no rush. And Bellingham , awaiting shoulder surgery, has not decided when to undergo surgery.

Xabi will then address contractual issues. Vallejo, Lucas, and Modric's contracts expire on June 30th. The two Spaniards will have a tough time staying, while the Croatian wants to continue and, if he assumes his role as he has in recent seasons, has a chance. Like Lucas, he should extend his contract by 15 days to be in the United States, so the coach could find himself with several players who know they won't be staying.

In terms of signings, Alonso wants to strengthen the defense, something the club shares. Alexander-Arnold 's official announcement is just a matter of days away, and Madrid is working to ensure he's ready for the World Cup. He'll be the first signing. Los Blancos are scouring the market for a center-back and a left-back, key players for Xabi, who will completely change the team's formation and style. One player could be the loser in that regard: Rodrygo Goes . Alonso doesn't seem to be a big fan of playing three forwards alongside Bellingham, something Ancelotti has done repeatedly this season. However, he would like to strengthen his defensive and midfield positions to create more space up front for his main objective: strengthening the Mbappé-Vinicius relationship.

Rodrygo's name is the big name on the exit threshold. With a reputation in England, his sale could help address the number of signings in the back line, but talks between the manager and the Brazilian are still pending. Also on the list of arrivals is Nico Paz , whom the club is keen to bring back to the first team after his strong year at Cesc Fàbregas 's Como.