Xabi Alonso questioned on replacing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has this weekend moved to play down the ongoing links between he and the managerial hotseat at Real Madrid.

The name of former midfielder Alonso has of course long taken its place centre stage in the headlines in Spain’s capital.

This comes as the 42-year-old continues to build on his reputation as one of European football’s breakthrough young tacticians.

Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen currently sit top of the Bundesliga table, owing to a remarkable record of 14 wins, three draws, and not a single defeat.

Such stellar exploits, though, have culminated in inevitable speculation that some of the continent’s heavyweights are keeping a close eye on the efforts of the Spaniard, ready to swoop for his signature in the not-so-distant future.

The most frequently linked, meanwhile, have been the aforementioned Real Madrid.

Whilst Los Blancos look in good shape on the managerial front after Carlo Ancelotti recently put pen to paper on fresh terms with the club, they are nevertheless understood to view Alonso as a potential long-term replacement for the Italian.

And, as alluded to above, this weekend, Alonso himself was questioned on the possibility of as much.

The query came by way of a surprise source, one of a group of children awaiting an autograph from the one-time Real Madrid orchestrator.

But Alonso had his wits very much about him, albeit whilst not entirely closing the door on his former employers, in responding:

“No, no, for now I’m here. I’m on Erasmus like you.”

Conor Laird | GSFN