It is no secret that Real Madrid are eyeing Alonso as a possible replacement for Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager is on the hot seat after Los Blancos crashed out of the Champions League and could be fired at the end of the season if his team does not win the Copa del Rey and/or La Liga.

Real Madrid’s managerial plans for the future are becoming increasingly clear, and at the heart of those plans is Xabi Alonso, the club’s top target to take over the reins. Now, according to

What we have here is the perfect tale that leads to the unavoidable. Xabi, the most sought-after name on the coaching board in Europe at present, stands to face a challenge most coaches dream of having: choosing between staying true to his own work or responding to the institution where he became a legend.