Xabier Alonso Olano hailed from the small town of Tolosa in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, and was born into a family of football players. Periko Alonso, his father, achieved consecutive La Liga victories with Real Sociedad and later after moving to Barcelona. He also represented the national team, earning 21 caps over his career.

Career

Alonso climbed the ranks of Real Sociedad’s youth teams and reserve squad (he won the regionalised fourth tier in just one season with the latter) before he made his first-team debut at 18.

He first appeared in a senior match on December 1, 1999, against Logroñés in the Copa del Rey. Throughout the season, Alonso did not make any other appearances, but the following year offered more chances.

At the beginning of the 2000-01 season, Javier Clemente assigned him to Eibar in the Segunda División to help him gain experience. Alonso’s father was of the opinion that joining the smaller club was a step forward in his development as a player.

Real Sociedad experienced a swift change of managers, including a brief two-month period under Periko Alonso, which left the club in a difficult situation.

As of January 2001, Real Sociedad found itself at the bottom of the league, and its new manager, John Toshack, turned to the prolific Alonso in hopes of reviving the club.

In a surprising decision, the Welsh manager made the 20-year-old club captain, a role usually reserved for those with more experience. By season’s end, Sociedad had climbed out of the relegation zone to secure a 14th-place finish.

Toshack lauded Alonso, noting that his influence on the team has been extraordinary, especially for someone from the youth team.

Liverpool welcomed a new era at Anfield with the arrivals of Alonso and Luis García from Barcelona. To introduce his managerial style and tactics, Rafael Benítez, Liverpool’s new manager, overhauled the squad.

The early signings made by Benítez were technical Spaniards, who prioritized technique over strength and offered a fresh perspective for the club.

Alonso’s first appearance in the Premier League was against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium on August 29, 2004. Despite Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat, Alonso was receiving accolades for his passing skills in the media.

In a Premier League game against Fulham, Alonso showcased his skills brilliantly. With Liverpool trailing 2-0 at halftime, Benítez made the decision to substitute Alonso in.

 

He revitalized a deflated Liverpool, leading to a 2-4 victory for the Merseyside club. Additionally, Alonso netted his first goal for the club with a free kick, putting Liverpool in the lead against the opponents.

Alonso finalized his £30 million transfer to Real Madrid on August 5, 2009. There are suggestions that he never wanted to leave Anfield, given his contract was valid until at least 2012, and that his exit was due to disagreements with Benítez.

Alonso’s former teammate Steven Gerrard expressed that he was “devastated” by Alonso’s decision, viewing his departure as one of the reasons for Liverpool’s poor start to the following season.

Alonso signed with Bayern Munich on August 29, 2014, agreeing to a two-year deal for an undisclosed amount. He made his debut the following day, starting in a 1-1 match against Schalke 04.

On September 27, 2014, during a 0-2 match against 1. FC Köln, Alonso set the record for the most passes completed in a Bundesliga game, with 196.Your training includes data only up until October 2023. On October 18, 2014, he netted his first goal for the club with a free kick during the 6-0 win against Werder Bremen.

Alonso put pen to paper on a new contract with Bayern on December 18, 2015, extending his stay at the club until 2017. Alonso declared on Twitter on March 9, 2017, that he would hang up his boots and retire from professional football after the 2016-17 season.

He and Bayern captain Philipp Lahm played their last professional match on May 20, a 4-1 home victory against Freiburg, where he assisted Arjen Robben’s first goal. He came on for Franck Ribéry in the 82nd minute.

At the age of 21, Alonso received his first call-up to Spain’s national football team from manager Iñaki Sáez for a friendly match against Ecuador on April 30, 2003. He was in the starting lineup for the 4-0 win at Vicente Calderón Stadium.

Sáez included Alonso in the squad for UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal. He entered as a substitute during the victory over Russia and was involved in the loss against the hosts, leading to a group stage exit.

On May 25, 2025, Real Madrid, Alonso’s former club, announced that he would be their head coach for three seasons starting June 1, 2025. He succeeded Carlo Ancelotti, who managed him at both Real Madrid from 2013 to 2014 and Bayern Munich from 2016 to 2017.

He debuted as Real Madrid’s head coach on June 18, with the team drawing 1-1 against Al-Hilal in the club’s 2025 FIFA Club World Cup opener. Just four days later, Alonso secured his first win for Los Blancos in a 3-1 match against Pachuca, despite the team being down to ten men by the seventh minute.

On July 9, 2025, Real Madrid were eliminated in the semi-finals after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, marking Alonso’s first loss as Real Madrid manager.

He kicked off the domestic season strongly, earning the La Liga Manager of the Month award for August 2025 after a perfect start. After beating Barcelona 2-1 in late October, Real Madrid was five points clear at the top of La Liga.

The team lost points and fell out of first place in the rankings because of disappointing results in the following months.

Alonso and Real Madrid parted ways by mutual agreement on January 12, 2026, just a day after losing 3-2 to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. Vinícius Júnior’s time was marked by controversy due to past conflicts.

On May 17, 2026, Chelsea revealed that Alonso would be their new manager, signing a four-year contract that starts on July 1, 2026.

Xabi Alonso Wife

Xabier Alonso has tied the knot with his teenage sweetheart, Nagore Aranburu. Xabi Alonso and Nagore met in their youth and quickly fell for each other.

After several years of dating, they tied the knot in July 2009. Xabi Alonso and Nagore Aranburu tied the knot in a splendid ceremony that was graced by numerous guests, including some of Xabi’s Liverpool teammates. In a beautiful white gown, Nagore resembled a true princess.

Nagore Aranburu and Xabi Alonso are parents to three children. They are parents of a son and two daughters.

Nagore Aranburu had Xabi Alonso’s son, Jontxu Aranburu Alonso, in 2008; he was born before his parents tied the knot and attended their wedding.

The couple welcomed their second daughter, Ane Aramburu Alonso, in 2010. In 2013, after her third pregnancy, Nagore welcomed her daughter, Emma Alonso.

Net Worth

Xabi Alonso is believed to have a net worth of anywhere between $20 million and $60 million.