Real Madrid are a family club to their core.
Time and time again, they have welcomed back club legends to coaching and even managerial roles. This has only continued to be the case under Florentino Perez' era and it will continue to do so until the well-loved club president hands over the reins.
The question on the back of Perez' mind is who will replace Carlo Ancelotti? While there is still a lot of time before the Italian is in need of a successor, Perez is a logical man who consistently thinks of his long-term plan so he will already have an idea of who he wants to manage the club next.
According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid are already thinking about the post- Ancelotti era and they have located one person in particular who they would like to replace him. The report states that Xabi Alonso leads the long-term list but it is unlikely he will land the Madrid role until after Ancelotti's contract expires in 2026.
This is the best-case scenario for all parties. Of course, Real Madrid are in no rush to replace Carlo Ancelotti since the Italian boss still has plenty to offer. Currently, his side are top of La Liga and he has the Champions League quarterfinal against Man City to be excited about.
From Xabi Alonso's perspective, this will give him plenty of time to expand the current project he has planned out at Bayer Leverkusen. Surprisingly, the Real Madrid legend has turned Leverkusen into big-hitters and the most in-form team in Europe this season, completing a near-perfect 23-4-0 season in Bundesliga, showing all the signs in the world that he can finish the campaign unbeaten.
Lastly, from Real Madrid's perspective, this would allow the team to continue to prosper for at least two more years. There are expected to be many new faces arrive this summer, so Ancelotti will use his expertise to ensure they gel together quickly enough and he will set Alonso up for future success.
Allowing Alonso to gain more managerial experience is the best possible outcome for Real Madrid before he hopefully takes the reins.
Xabi Alonso is the perfect long-term successor for Real Madrid, so it's no surprise to see him at the top of Florentino Perez' shortlist.