Robert Lewandowski doesn’t usually hand out warnings, but the Barcelona striker has one for fans of La Liga teams that aren’t Real Madrid.
After a season where Madrid were swept aside in all four El Clasico matches, Lewandowski believes Los Blancos could be a rejuvenated side under new coach Xabi Alonso.
“I think that Xabi Alonso, for everything he has done at Real Madrid, is something that has no words, because he has won the Champions League many times,”
Lewandowski told Mundo Deportivo. “But Xabi Alonso is at the beginning of his journey as a coach.”
That “beginning” has already made headlines. Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to Bundesliga glory in 2023-2024 season and finished second this season, before accepting the job to replace outgoing Carlo Ancelotti, who will now coach Brazil.
Lewandowski, who shared a dressing room with Alonso at Bayern Munich, says fans shouldn’t be fooled by Alonso’s coaching resume being just a few years deep.
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“As a player I know Xabi very well. The two of us were always training together,” the Polish striker said.
“And I knew that Xabi would one day be a coach. At first, of course, in a more modest team. But after a few years he is a coach of a great team in the world.”
“From the beginning he will bring fresh blood, something new to the squad. But I am sure that Real Madrid will be a very dangerous team next season.”
That’s a strong statement from a player whose Barcelona side secured a domestic double last season and thrashed Madrid four times, including a 5–2 rout in the Spanish Super Cup final and a 4–0 La Liga hammering at the Bernabeu. But Lewandowski insists those days could be over.
“I think that for Real Madrid he is a good coach who can help this team. Maybe he needs a little time, but he’s preparing for this club as a coach,” he added.
Alonso’s first test in charge will be no friendly. He’s set to lead Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup, kicking off next week in the United States.
Madrid will arrive as European and Intercontinental champions. But for Lewandowski, it’s the man on the sidelines that makes them the real threat.
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