Xabi Alonso set to return to Real Sociedad to become a youth coach

It has been confirmed that former Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso will leave his current post as a youth coach for Real Madrid to join Real Sociedad’s coaching staff. Per a report by AS, Alonso has agreed to return to Sociedad, one of his former clubs, to become a youth coach, though it is not yet understood what age group he will be assigned to.

The offer from Sociedad came shortly after Alonso finished his debut campaign with Madrid’s U-13’s by winning the Division de Honor Juvenil title at the end of March. His side finished with an impressive record of 22 wins and one draw en route to their title and Alonso’s first season as a manager was a great success.

He took to his Instagram account to send his message of thanks and gratitude to Madrid’s U-13 side

Proud to have trained these Champions. Thanks for everything you have taught me.

It has also been reported that Alonso will be getting his UEFA Pro license within the next week. This will give him the right to coach in all professional divisions in Spain all the way from the third tier to the top flight (La Liga). It’s a fairy-tale return to the club that launched his professional career in top flight football for Alonso, though we can still remain hopeful that one day he may return to Bayern Munich to assume some sort of coaching roll.

Earlier this month, Karl-Heinz Rummeigge had expressed his desire to see Alonso return to Munich at some point in time to become a coach. He referred to him as “One personality, one guy, one of whom I wish that one day he will return to FC Bayern a true gentleman. He was the smartest and best strategist [at Bayern].”

As I had written back at the beginning of the month, timing is of the essence and Bayern will not get the chance to see Alonso build a bit of a pedigree before he would potentially come to coach at Bayern:

If he were to step in at a coaching capacity at Bayern, it’s safe to assume that he would receive the luxury of a bit of a honeymoon period when he first takes charge, especially if things dont start out well. For Bayern, though, it might be in their best interest to see how he does in another coaching role for another season or two, but they do risk the possibility of him accepting a more permanent role at Sociedad if they don’t pull the trigger and try to bring him to Munich. Hopefully, regardless of what happens in the near future, Alonso will return to Munich at least someday.

BONUS: Alonso explains his roles at Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid