The 'Xabi Method' in his first days at Madrid: "a lot of ball" and "a lot of tactics": "He's very intense."

Xabi Alonso has a faithful companion every step he takes through The Gardens, Real Madrid's bunker in West Palm Beach, an hour's walk from Hard Rock Stadium where the Tolosa native makes his debut as coach of the Whites tonight against Al Hilal (9:00 PM). That companion, that shadow, is always a ball. The ball has been his moment of reflection during his first days in charge of the squad. With it, tapping it or kicking it, he reflects on his plan while his players prepare for training. "There's a drawing in his head and he wants everyone to learn how to draw it," explain sources close to the dressing room.

In that formation, there's "a lot of intensity" and "a lot of tactics," they say from Miami. Alonso controls everything. He jumps onto the Florida pitch and places the cones one by one, as if he were another assistant. If in Carlo Ancelotti's case it was his son Davide and Francesco Mauri who organized the sessions and led the training sessions, now it's Xabi himself who orders and commands. He measures the steps between cones, places the balls carefully, and only remains silent when Sebas Parrilla, his assistant, explains the exercises. From then on, it's all his.

Alonso is the one who makes the first pass in rondos, who returns the ball to the players in group exercises, and who acts as the passer at the start of attacking plays. He wants to be on the front line so he can convince the player that what he's doing is right. "Let everyone learn to draw exactly what Xabi has in his head."

His intensity is evident in the sound of Palm Beach. "With quality and fast," "I want quality, quality," "Go, go, go," he repeats during one of the drills, before starting to do it himself with the players. He's just another player in the session with the ball, and despite being retired for eight years, he can keep up with his players' passing pace.

This approach to coaching and management isn't new. He already did it at Real Sociedad's reserve team and at Bayer Leverkusen, which he transformed into Bundesliga champions in just a few months, closely monitoring every exercise and every action. And the players, of course, notice.

"Xabi is very approachable and intense. It helps us players a lot that he's on top of us," says Fede Valverde in Palm Beach. A few meters away, Dean Huijsen, recently arrived in the locker room, repeats the same point: "He's a good coach and he's demanding a lot from us." The message is spreading throughout the squad. "He generates excitement; he wants a team that knows what it's playing for," says Dani Ceballos on the Florida pitch, where he made public Modric's comments upon announcing the new manager's signing: "Luka told me that when he was in a team with him, he was very annoying in terms of positioning."

At the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, Madrid's hotel during this first phase of the Club World Cup, excitement reigns: "We see Xabi at the hotel, going crazy about getting started. He makes it very clear. He had doubts about whether it was the right time, but now he seems very capable and eager. That makes us very excited. I'm sure this team will be strong when La Liga starts."

Brahim Díaz also appears on the pitch, about to renew his contract and also focusing his reflections in these first few days on the fact that "training is very intense." "He's a young coach but has a lot of experience," adds the Andalusian.

A few hours later, Alonso appeared in his first pre-match press conference as Madrid manager. He did so at the impressive Hard Rock Stadium in front of a packed press room.

The only doubts in their starting lineup are Kylian Mbappé and Antonio Rüdiger. The Frenchman missed the last session due to fever and is a serious doubt for the match against Argentina. Humidity in South Florida is extremely high, with temperatures expected to exceed 74% at match time (3:00 PM), and temperatures will exceed 30 degrees, with the possibility of a tropical storm. The Whites are not overly optimistic about the Frenchman's presence. The German, meanwhile, returned a few days ago after injuring his meniscus, and the coaching staff doesn't want to force him.