I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

While Chen Zhong was chatting with Alonso, he also took Alonso’s coaching manual in hand, and the two discussed recent glories and declines.

"Does it take 30 years to become a great coach?"

"Aren’t you not even 60 this year?" Chen Zhong looked at what was written on the cover page of Alonso’s coaching manual, and after hearing Chen Zhong’s question, Alonso replied: "Am I not a great coach yet?"

When Alonso retired in 2014, he chose to join Real Sociedad B team as an assistant coach, getting up at 4 AM every day to study heat maps of young players’ movements.

Three years later, when he moved to Bayer Leverkusen, he requested the medical team to scan players’ knee joint pressure data after each training session. This accumulated knowledge eventually transformed into a unique "dynamic load management" system.

When he led the team to create a Bundesliga record of 51 consecutive unbeaten matches in 2023, Real Madrid’s technical director noticed one detail: Alonso’s tactical board always had two blank magnetic tiles, used to mark the opponents’ most threatening attackers.

In Bayer Leverkusen’s locker room, there were three special tactical diagrams hung.

One diagram dissects the 3421 formation into 14,400 tactical units of 15 seconds each, with each unit preset with three variants.

In the second leg of the 2024 Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, the team suddenly switched to a "no striker + wing-back inward" mode in the last 20 minutes, causing cognitive confusion in the opponent’s defensive system through such quantum leaps within the traditional framework.

UEFA’s technical report pointed out that Bayer Leverkusen’s tactical change frequency reached 2.3 times per minute, far exceeding the 0.8 times of other Bundesliga teams.

At the signing ceremony, Alonso intentionally wore a replica of the captain’s armband from the 2005 Champions League final.

This action full of ritual echoed Real Madrid management’s deeper intentions—they needed to algorithmically integrate the possession-control philosophy of Zidane’s era with Alonso’s modular system.

The medical team has introduced the "three-dimensional motion capture system" used by Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, a device that once helped Wirtz improve his passing accuracy, which will become standard for the future Galaxy Battleship.

More notably, Real Madrid’s youth academy is testing the "quantum player" development program, where U16 team players experience three different positions every week, with sensors embedded in their training clothes recording muscle group activation at each position.

Before Ancelotti’s departure, he handed Alonso a tactical data chip of the 2024 King’s Cup winning roster.

These chips store the biomechanical characteristics of Benzema, Modric, and Chen Zhong, and will become crucial references for the new system.

In the third underground level of the training base, the technical team is constructing a "tactical gene library," integrating the diamond midfield of Zidane with Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system through data fusion.

This blend of new and old forces, much like quantum entanglement, is influencing Real Madrid’s trajectory over the next five years.

Interestingly, in his first week in office, Alonso requested to keep all players’ old numbers but changed the locker passwords to Bayer Leverkusen’s tactical codes.

Alonso’s led Real Madrid youth training reform completely overturned the traditional "position fixation" training.

In a youth Champions League match, 17-year-old midfielder Dani Garcia successfully switched between defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, and winger roles within 60 minutes.

This "quantum player" cultivation concept is rewriting the basic paradigm of football education.

FIFA’s technical director commented on this: "Alonso is creating a Schrödinger’s state for football players—they simultaneously exist in every possible position until the game moment collapses into a definite form."

More astonishingly, Real Madrid’s U19 team’s mental resilience test scores increased by 37% over the previous year, due to Alonso’s invention of the "boos acceleration training method."

Alonso mixed fans’ boos into comical cartoon sound effects.

Negotiations for the renewal of the partnership between Real Madrid and Adidas have also seen a major turning point due to Alonso’s arrival.

The new contract specifically includes a "tactical data sharing clause," stipulating that 5% of the profits from player jersey sales will be used to purchase his developed smart training equipment.

Most notably, Real Madrid’s official store began selling "Quantum Football" themed merchandise, and jerseys featuring a Möbius strip design created by Alonso sold 100,000 units in the first week of launch.

Such commercialization of tactical concepts is reshaping the profitability model of the football industry.

Nike’s newly released smart boots show that players wearing this equipment have increased their average sprint speed by 0.3 seconds, which coincidentally aligns with Alonso’s "neural response training" theory promoted during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul is being converted into a football academy, with the exterior wall of the newly completed tactical analysis center engraved with the names of all coaches who created miracles there.

The spotlight in the Bernabeu press room focused on Xabi Alonso’s dark gray suit as the 43-year-old Spaniard began his first public proclamation as Real Madrid’s head coach with a calm tone.

Taking over the baton left by Ancelotti, Alonso showed no signs of apprehension, instead turning pressure into motivation: "The opportunity to coach Real Madrid comes only once in a lifetime, and I am ready to accept the highest standard of challenge."

Regarding his predecessor Ancelotti, Alonso showed no hesitation in expressing respect: "He was a key figure in shaping my career, and I am proud to continue his legacy."

This sense of heritage is also reflected in his attitude towards Modric. Although the Croatian midfielder is confirmed to leave, Alonso still referred to him as "the team’s conductor" and looks forward to "enjoying the final moments of cooperation" during a brief reunion at the end of the year FIFA Club World Cup.

The forward line-up is undoubtedly the ace in the new coach’s hand. Speaking of Vinicius and Mbappe, Alonso defined them as "super weapons that change the game," emphasizing the design of exclusive communication plans to maximize their potential.

In response to rumors of Rodrigo’s departure, he firmly stated: "We need this Brazilian genius; his skills are irreplaceable." As for Bellingham, Alonso clearly established his role as the midfield core: "He is the cornerstone of Real Madrid for the next ten years, and we will enhance his efficiency."

When asked about Chen Zhong, Alonso said: "He’s won 9 Ballon d’Or awards and was once a very good friend of mine. I respect him and believe he will play an important role in the team, both on the field and in the locker room."

"No one will underestimate this superstar from China."

"Unless there’s something wrong with their heads."

Alonso showed no politeness towards journalists trying to create news about him and Chen Zhong, directly stating his stance.

In terms of tactics, Alonso refuses to be bound by systems: "Modern football requires dynamic thinking, and I will adjust the structure according to players’ characteristics." He envisions building a team that combines control and impact, precisely switching rhythms between high-pressure pressing and defensive counterattacks.

Addressing the defensive loopholes exposed last season, he revealed that he is constructing a framework balanced in attack and defense, but refused to elaborate on specific plans.

Transfer market movements also garner attention. Besides the confirmed Dutch central defender Huijsen, Real Madrid is in contact with Arnold and Carreras to strengthen the flank positions. Alonso admitted involvement in some decisions: "The club and I are reaching a consensus on roster upgrades." This pragmatic approach extends to his staffing philosophy: "My task is to unleash each player’s energy within their comfort zone, after all, having top stars is a coach’s sweet dilemma."

With the FIFA Club World Cup approaching in July, Alonso’s short-term goal is clearly visible: "This tournament is an excellent springboard to test ideas."

From the tactical laboratory to locker room management, this young coach’s journey with Real Madrid has already commenced.

Many believe that the main conflict for Real Madrid this season lies with Chen Zhong. As Bellingham gradually grows into the team’s midfield core, and with Chen Zhong wanting to maintain his form to participate in next year’s World Cup, this seems like a difficult problem to resolve.