Xabi Alonso established himself as one of Europe's brightest young coaches after leading Bayer Leverkusen to a historic domestic double, ending Bayern Munich's long dominance. That success earned him the Real Madrid job, a chapter he now admits left the only "scar" of his coaching career.

Speaking to The Athletic, the current Chelsea manager reflected on his time at Real Madrid, the lessons he learned and how he rediscovered his passion for coaching.

Xabi Alonso admits Real Madrid left him with a "scar"

The Spanish coach said he does not carry many scars from his career, but acknowledged that his spell at Real Madrid was a difficult experience.

"Fortunately, I don't have many scars in my career. I have one, but it heals. Now that it has healed, I'm highly motivated and determined to enjoy this new chapter just as I did when I first started in Madrid," he said.

What went wrong at Real Madrid?

Although there was speculation during his time at the club about his relationship with certain players, Alonso declined to blame any specific issue and instead offered a broader reflection.

"The adaptation I had to make, the things that worked and the things that didn't, both in terms of the football itself and managing the human side of the group."

He also admitted that he stepped away from football for a while to rediscover his passion for the game.

"It's essential to transmit that passion and enthusiasm for the game in every training session. I mainly used that time for myself... I disconnected and didn't watch much football."

Xabi Alonso explains his formula for success

Alonso also shared what he believes is the foundation of building a successful team.

"It's about finding the right balance of personalities and stages of maturity, creating good relationships and connections that strengthen the team spirit. After that comes playing well and winning matches."

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