MADRID: New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Monday he has the energy and excitement to deliver success worthy of the Spanish giants` rich history as he was presented as Carlo Ancelotti`s replacement.

Alonso will lead the team at the Club World Cup this summer and has signed a three-year deal until June 2028, after Ancelotti departed to take charge of the Brazil national team.

Real failed to win a major trophy this season, losing their La Liga crown to rivals Barcelona, who also beat them in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals.

Real were dealt a heavy Champions League quarter-final defeat by Arsenal as their European trophy defence also fell short.

`We have fantastic players, we have a team that has a lot of potential, (capable of) a very good present and a very good future,` Alonso said at Real Madrid`s training ground.

`That gives me a lot of reason to come here with a lot of energy and a lot of hope that I can get the best out of all the players and build a great team...

`(I have) the conviction that we can achieve big things, worthy of Real Madrid, worthy of all these European Cups, of all these accomplishments made over so many years.

Alonso, a technically gifted central midfielder in his playing days, made 236 Real appearances between 2009-2014, winning six trophies.

The 43-year-old coach led Bayer Leverkusen to a superb unbeaten Bundesliga and German Cup double in the 2023-24 campaign, making him a target for Europe`s top clubs.

Alonso, who was coached by Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho among other managerial greats, said it was a `special day`.

`I have been away from here for a few years, but I think the link with Madrid and the fans has never ended, it`s always been there,` he said.

Real chief Florentino Perez gave an introductory speech welcoming Alonso back to the Spanish capital.

`This is a very special day for those who love Real Madrid, it will be the start of a new era filled with excitement and intense emotions,` said Perez.

`A coach arrives who is one of the best in the world, and who knows what this badge and this shirt means...

`Today we welcome one of our own Xabi Alonso. Welcome back to your home, Real Madrid.

Real`s Club World Cup campaign starts against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in Miami on June 18, which will be the first look at Alonso`s project.

One of the Spaniard`s main jobs will be to help the team improve defensively while continuing to profit from the goals of star players Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

`It`s lucky to have players of this level, not just Kylian or Vinicius, but so many,` said Alonso.

`They make the difference and we have to get everything we can out of them I have ideas.

Ancelotti regularly complained Real could not find a balance between attacking and defending, losing 14 matches across all competitions.

`I`ve seen the games and I have analysed them, now I am thinking about how to make a balanced team,` said Alonso.

`I want everyone to know how we want to do things, and that will give us a stability that will allow individual qualities to flourish.`-AFP