Xabi Alonso at opening ceremony of Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europa 2025/26 academic year
“The pursuit of excellence, generosity and hard work are unquestionable at every level of the club,” said the Real Madrid coach.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso and the club's director of Institutional Relations and managing director of the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europa, Emilio Butragueño, inaugurated the 2025/26 academic year in the auditorium of Real Madrid City. Also in attendance at the ceremony marking the start of the 20th graduating class were Elena Gazapo, Rector of the Universidad Europea; Marisa Sáenz, Managing Director of the Real Madrid Real Madrid Graduate School; Miguel Pardeza and Manolo Sanchís, Directors of Postgraduate Programmes at the Real Madrid Graduate School; Álvaro Arbeloa and Santiago Solari.
Following the showing of a video about Xabi Alonso's career as a footballer and coach, the Real Madrid coach welcomed the students: “Thank you very much for being here and for the trust you have placed in the club at such a pivotal moment in your careers.”
Importance of Real Madrid's values
“As I experienced them as a player, I maintain them naturally. You have to respect the history of Real Madrid and how this great club has been built. That pursuit of excellence, that generosity and that effort are unquestionable at the club. And at all levels, not just on the pitch. The pitch is what stands out most, but there are many other areas, which you will learn about, that make this work. Everything has to be connected, and that is an intangible asset of the club that is very valuable. At Real Madrid, things are not done any old way, and that has to be understood.”
How to reach the elite
“I was fortunate enough to identify my passion from an early age, which was playing football. That makes it easier to choose your path. Once you set out on that path, you have to be willing to pay the price. You have to be willing to give 100% to, first of all, get the opportunity. Then, if you want to keep climbing, you need that consistency and work ethic which, in my case, coming from a football family, I already had from a young age. Also, when you're already a player, you have to put things into perspective to be able to distinguish what's really important.”
On his decision to be a coach
“I was motivated by curiosity about the game. Now I'm a coach, but the best part is playing. I envy the players a lot, but it's a healthy envy. I was always curious about why things happen, maybe because of the position I was in. That made me want to be close to it. In recent years, I said to myself, ‘I have to start developing this.’ I had to prepare myself properly to enjoy this new responsibility. I didn’t want to rush things, so I started here with the youth teams. I wanted to take gradual steps until I got here. You have to go out there and try things out to learn.”
On his experience in other countries
“When I was at university, aged 22, I went to study in Liverpool. At first, I listened a lot, spoke little, and paid close attention to everything. That helped me get off to a good start. Then, you mustn't be afraid; you need to have courage and your own personality to earn respect in a constructive way, and then the perseverance to take the right steps to get where you want to be. Seeing the world, meeting people from all over and other cultures helped me enormously. If I hadn't had that experience as a player, I probably wouldn't be here now.”
Butragueño: “We will experience this adventure together and do our best to rise to the challenge”
Emilio Butragueño welcomed the students of the Real Madrid Graduate School:
“Welcome to Real Madrid City, our home, your home. This is where, through the talent and hard work of everyone at Real Madrid, we strive to face constant challenges in the hope of continuing to build on our club's legendary status. Here, both the players and all of us live by the values that have been handed down from generation to generation and which have been the pillars on which we have relied throughout our 123-year history. Thanks to these values and the unconditional loyalty of our hundreds of millions of fans, today Real Madrid is the most loved and admired club in the world.”
“Dear students of the 20th graduating class, you have decided to be part of this great story. We thank you for your trust in such an important year of your lives. We consider it a great honour and also a huge responsibility. We will live this adventure together and do everything possible to live up to your expectations.”
Elena Gazapo: “This year, the multicultural nature of our school is even more evident”
“The shared values of two leading institutions, Real Madrid and the Universidad Europea, have led us to consolidate this great university project, which over the last 18 years has trained more than 19,000 students from all over the world and covers all areas of knowledge in sport. This year, the multicultural nature of our school is even more evident. More than 80% of our students are from overseas, representing over 100 countries. I would like to express our gratitude and extend a warm welcome to Xabi Alonso, who is joining us for the first time at this opening ceremony. It is a privilege to have him here, and we wish him every success. I would also like to thank Emilio Butragueño for the affection and dedication he always shows towards the school.”
Following the conversation between Xabi Alonso and Butragueño in front of the school's new students, the latter also had the opportunity to ask the Real Madrid coach questions. The opening ceremony ended with the customary group photo.