Xabi Alonso did his best to downplay expectations surrounding his first few games as Real Madrid manager, warning that the Club World Cup has forced an unnatural “acceleration” of his lauded coaching methods.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss was only officially unveiled as Madrid’s new head coach at the end of May. Alonso hailed his own arrival as “the start of an era” that day, however, such grand ambitions take time to form.
