[Real Madrid](https://www.managingmadrid.com) presented their new coach on Monday as Xabi Alonso returned to the club. The Basque former midfielder has put pen to paper with Los Blancos for a third time in his career, once as a player, once as a coach in the youth set-up and now as first team coach.
Speaking about his arrival at his official presentation at Valdebebas on Monday, Alonso gave a welcome speech saying, “A very good morning to you. Without a doubt, this is a very special day for me. A day that I will have marked in my calendar for life.”
“I am very happy to be here, in what I feel is my home. My bond with Madridismo has never ceased to exist and, since I entered Valdebebas an hour and a half ago, that feeling has been reborn.
“I have the feeling that this is the beginning of a new era. Florentino, thank you very much for the confidence. I feel that the fans, the Madridistas, are excited to start this new era, to grow and to make the history of this club greater. Thanks also to my family, who are always with me.
“Before I start talking about the new phase, I don’t want to stop talking about the phase that has come to an end. Carlo was my coach, a great person and a great influence. Without his mastery, I would probably not be here. I take over and I take up his legacy with a lot of honour and a lot of pride. I hope I can live up to the expectations and take the club to all the places where we all believe we can do it.
“We are starting a period in which I feel that the club and the fans are united. We have a great team, we have fantastic players and very good potential. That gives me reason to come here with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. We have the conviction that we can achieve important things, worthy of Real Madrid and these European Cups.
“We want the fans to be proud, that we transmit emotions, joy. We want people to go to the stadium to enjoy themselves. If we manage to ignite that, we will have an unstoppable force. We are convinced that we can do great things, thank you very much.
“Thank you very much, Hala Madrid!”