Real Madrid are forging a new identity under Xabi Alonso with each match they play at the FIFA Club World Cup.
After bidding farewell to Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid welcomed Alonso back to the Spanish capital to take over his former club. The Spaniard only had a few weeks with his new team before he made his debut on the touchline in the United States this summer.
Despite opening the Club World Cup with a 1–1 draw against Al Hilal, Real Madrid went on to secure victories over Pachuca and RB Salzburg, finishing atop Group H. Along the way, Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold made their highly anticipated debuts, Real Madrid Castilla products got their chance to shine and the team experimented with a new system.
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Here’s three things Alonso will have already learned in his short tenure in charge of the biggest club in the world.






