Barcelona coach Hansi Flick on Wednesday said Xabi Alonso will land a new job quickly, backing the outgoing Real Madrid coach to have a great career in management.
Alonso left his role as Madrid boss after just 233 days in charge on Monday following a 3-2 loss to Flick’s Barça in the Spanish Supercopa final last weekend.
After leading Bayer Leverkusen to an unexpected Bundesliga title in 2024, Alonso leaves Madrid with a record of 24 wins from his 34 matches in charge, during which time he lost just six games.
“This is football,” Flick said in a news conference on Wednesday when asked about Alonso being replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa earlier this week.
“I have a really good relationship with Xabi. We met in Leverkusen when I was the national coach and I stayed in contract.
“He’s a fantastic coach, but it’s football, we have to accept these things. He will get a new, next big project for him and also his team.
“As coaches, we have to continue, think about what we can do better, but he’s a fantastic coach and he has a great future ahead of him.”
Having built that friendship when Flick was Germany boss, the two became rivals last summer when Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti at Madrid.
In the first of two meetings between the pair, Alonso’s Madrid prevailed 2-1 in the LaLiga Clásico in October, with Flick’s Barça team gaining revenge in the Supercopa last Sunday.
Flick was speaking ahead of Thursday’s trip to Segunda División leaders Racing Santander in the round-of-16 of the Copa del Rey, when new loan signing João Cancelo is in line to make his second debut for the club following a spell in Catalonia in the 2023-24 season.
“It’s in our minds that he can play some minutes, yes,” Flick added when asked if the full-back, who has joined from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal until the end of the season, could feature. “João is a fantastic footballer, very professional. He has a lot of quality, also in the offence. This is what we need.
“We need players when the opponent is in the last third and we have to play, to overplay them, I think we need quality there. He’s a good option for that.”
Meanwhile, Flick said it’s likely that Joan García will start in goal, despite giving minutes to Marc-André ter Stegen in the last round against Guadalajara.
Flick has reiterated in recent weeks that García is No.1, with sources telling ESPN Ter Stegen will be allowed to leave Barça this month if he wants as Wojciech Szczesny is able to deputise for García if needed.
