Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed confidence on Wednesday that Xabi Alonso will quickly find a new position, praising the former Real Madrid manager’s potential for a successful coaching career.
Alonso departed from his role at Madrid after only 233 days, following a 3-2 defeat to Flick’s Barça in the Spanish Supercopa final last weekend.
After guiding Bayer Leverkusen to a surprising Bundesliga title in 2024, Alonso’s tenure at Madrid concluded with a record of 24 wins in 34 matches, losing just six.
Discussing Alonso’s replacement by Álvaro Arbeloa in a news conference, Flick noted, “This is football. I have a strong relationship with Xabi; we met at Leverkusen when I was the national coach, and I respected our bond.”
“He’s an excellent coach. We need to accept these changes in football. He will undoubtedly find a new, exciting project for himself and his team,” Flick added. “As coaches, we must continue to reflect on how we can improve, but I am confident he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Their friendship began when Flick was managing the German national team, but they became rivals last summer when Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti at Madrid.
In their first competition, Alonso’s Madrid won 2-1 in the LaLiga Clásico in October, but Flick’s Barcelona avenged that defeat in the Supercopa last Sunday.
Flick spoke ahead of Thursday’s match against Segunda División leaders Racing Santander in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, where new loan signing João Cancelo could make his second debut for the club after his previous stint in Catalonia during the 2023-24 season.
“Yes, we are considering having him play some minutes,” Flick said about the full-back, who has joined on loan from Al Hilal. “João is a fantastic player and a true professional with a lot of quality, especially going forward. This is what we need.”
“We need players in the final third when we’re trying to break down defenses, and I believe he provides us with that quality.”
Flick also mentioned that Joan García is expected to start in goal, despite the previous match in which Marc-André ter Stegen saw playing time. Flick has emphasized that García is his No. 1 choice, and reports suggest ter Stegen could leave Barça this month if he chooses, with Wojciech Szczesny available to cover for García if necessary.