The "latest team" has approached "Alonso," who made an immediate decision after rumors linked him with two Premier League clubs.
On 19 Feb 2026 GMT+7, RMC Sport, a leading French media outlet, reported that Xabi Alonso, former Real Madrid coach, has been contacted to manage Olympique Marseille, a prominent Ligue 1 club in France.
At 44 years old, Xabi Alonso is currently unemployed after being dismissed by Real Madrid last January, ending his tenure at Santiago Bernabeu in less than seven months. Nevertheless, he remains in demand among major European clubs.
Reports indicate that Olympique Marseille, seeking a new manager after parting ways with Roberto De Zerbi, approached Xabi Alonso for the role, but he immediately declined.
Sources revealed that unstable conditions within the club influenced Alonso's decision. Previously, Mehdi Benatia, the sporting director and Alonso’s former Bayern Munich teammate from 2014 to 2017, resigned just days after De Zerbi's departure, citing he "could not ignore the current situation" following "communication failures" at the board level.
However, Benatia surprisingly reversed his resignation the next day after Frank McCourt, Marseille's owner, rejected the resignation. McCourt traveled from the United States to reduce club president Pablo Longoria’s role and granted Benatia greater control.
Frank McCourt revealed that Mehdi Benatia changed his mind and will remain in his position through the season’s end. Meanwhile, Alonso’s refusal led Marseille to appoint Abib Bay, recently dismissed by Rennes last week, as the new manager.
Consequently, Xabi Alonso remains unemployed, which opens opportunities for two major English Premier League clubs to recruit him: Liverpool, who consider him a top choice should they decide to replace Jürgen Klopp, and Manchester City, who see him as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola if he leaves before his contract ends in 2027.