Former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has reportedly rejected the chance to become French side Marseille’s head coach amid links to Liverpool. Alonso parted ways with Los Blancos in January this year after only around six months in office.
Alonso took over as head coach at Real Madrid at the beginning of the 2025-26 season, replacing former boss Carlo Ancelotti. However, things seemingly took a turn for the worse after Los Blancos lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final last month. A clip featuring Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo seemingly disregarding Alonso’s instructions to give Barca a guard of honour after the win also went viral online. Days later, Alonso parted ways with the Spanish giants, with Alvaro Arbeloa taking over.
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According to reports from RMCSport, Xabi Alonso has now rejected the offer to join Ligue 1 side Marseille as their head coach. The French side has been hunting the market for a new manager after the departure of Roberto de Zerbi. The report suggests that Alonso immediately rejected Marseille’s approach due to the ongoing internal turmoil and alleged rifts in the boardroom at the club.
After his time at Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso reportedly prefers a project with more stability and sustainability without ongoing turmoil among internal stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Spaniard has also been recently linked to a potential move to Liverpool to take over as head coach.
The current season is Arne Slot’s second season at Liverpool. While his job does not appear to be in immediate danger, there are major concerns as the Reds failed to replicate their title-winning form from last season. Alonso is reportedly seen as a potential replacement should the authorities decide to move on from Slot.
Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai’s agent claims he has no desire to leave the club amid Real Madrid links
In an interview with WinWin (via Mundo Deportivo), Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai’s agent, Matyas Esterhazy, confirmed that his client has no intention of leaving Anfield for Real Madrid. He said:
“It’s completely normal for the public, when he’s performing like this, to talk about what’s next and whether there’s something better. For us, it’s not an issue. We’re halfway through the season, and he has a lot of work ahead of him in the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. He’s said on several occasions how important this competition is to him.”
He added:
“It’s not right to talk now about what might happen in the summer. Not to mention that Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and Dominik occupies a position in the team that has a lot of competition, so we’re not looking elsewhere.”
The links to Real Madrid came after Hungarian coach Marco Rossi suggested that Szoboszlai always wanted to play for Los Blancos. Meanwhile, the Spanish side are also reportedly open to signing him, as they’re hunting the market for a new versatile attacking midfielder. However, a potential move appears difficult, especially given Szoboszlai’s agent’s stance.
Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar