"He is a great coach with a bright future" - Hansi Flick comments on Xabi Alonso's dismissal

At the pre-match press conference ahead of the Copa del Rey clash between Racing and Barcelona, the Catalans' head coach was asked for his thoughts on the dismissal of Xabi Alonso from the Real Madrid managerial post.

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Details: Barcelona's manager addressed the situation surrounding his colleague Xabi Alonso, emphasizing that such developments are part of football's reality and outside his area of responsibility.

"This is football, and it's not my business. What I can say is that I have a good relationship with Xabi—we met in Leverkusen and have stayed in touch. I wish him all the best. I'm sure he'll have a great project soon for himself and his coaching staff. In football, you have to move on, but he is a great coach with a bright future ahead," Flick stated.

Let us recall that Xabi Alonso was unexpectedly dismissed after losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona—with former Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa stepping in as his replacement.

Notably, Arbeloa will make his debut as head coach of "Los Blancos" today. Real Madrid will face Albacete in the Copa del Rey, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 Central European Time.

Reminder: The conditions have been revealed for Álvaro Arbeloa to remain at the helm of Real Madrid next season.