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Ex-Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has confessed that he can't bring himself to wish Xabi Alonso well as he gears up to take the helm at Real Madrid.

The Spanish maestro was recently announced as the successor to Carlo Ancelotti at the La Liga giants.

This appointment puts an end to long-standing rumors about Alonso's potential departure from Bayer Leverkusen for Madrid, and marks a return to the club where he played from 2009 to 2014.

Mascherano, who shared the pitch with Alonso at Liverpool, has now shared his views on the appointment.

Despite expecting Alonso to excel at the Bernabeu, he refrained from wishing him luck due to his deep-rooted connections with Barcelona – a club where Mascherano spent eight successful years and claimed five La Liga titles among numerous other accolades.

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While Mascherano may have held back on extending his best wishes to Alonso for his new role in Madrid, he took a different stance regarding Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono, who is on the brink of sealing a high-profile transfer to the Bernabeu from River Plate.

"I had the opportunity to coach him with the Argentina U20 national team," Mascherano revealed.

"He comes from one of the biggest clubs in the Americas, River Plate, but when Real Madrid or FC Barcelona show interest, it's very difficult to turn down an offer like that

Now, as Alonso gears up for his maiden trophy challenge as boss of Real Madrid, the storied club heads into the Club World Cup in the USA.

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