Ancelotti: Ronaldo has to win Ballon d'Or

The Italian threw his support behind the Portuguese after watching his side beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in a friendly on Thursday

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says Cristiano Ronaldo has to win the Ballon d'Or and revealed he expects Xabi Alonso to sign a new contract with the club.

Madrid ran out 1-0 winners over Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly in Qatar on Thursday, thanks to Jese Rodriguez's 18th minute strike.

And the Italian used his post-match press conference to throw his weight of support behind Ronaldo, while discussing the respective futures of Alonso and Iker Casillas.

Juventus linked to Xabi

Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso wanted by Juventus.

Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has reportedly been offered a three-year contract by Juventus.

The Spanish international is in the final year of his contract with Real and is said to be on the wanted list of Monaco, Manchester United and Chelsea, though Infoticker.ch now says that he will weigh up an offer from Juventus.

Alonso set for Madrid start against Rayo

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Xabi Alonso will make his first start for over five months against Rayo Vallecano.

The Spain international has been sidelined with foot and groin injuries but made a substitute appearance in Wednesday's 7-3 victory over Sevilla.

Alonso replaced Asier Illarramendi with 26 minutes remaining and is now set to feature from the first whistle on Saturday.

Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso: You owe me the Champions League

The new Real Madrid boss has not forgotten about the remarkable 2005 Champions League final where Liverpool beat AC Milan, while the midfielder has defended Jose Mourinho

.

New Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has jokingly told Xabi Alonso that he 'owes' him a European Cup following the 2005 Champions League final.

Ancelotti was head coach of the AC Milan side that gave away a three-goal lead against Alonso's Liverpool in the showpiece in Istanbul eight years ago, and the Italian coach has not forgotten about the events at the Ataturk Stadium.

Talk Intensifying Of Fiorentina Move For Former Liverpool Midfielder

According to reports in Spain the possibility of Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso joining Serie A side Fiorentina is gathering pace with the former Liverpool man still to agree a contract extension with the Spanish club.

The 31-year-old had been a key component of the side since joining in 2009, however, with his contract expiring at the end of the season and it unknown whether he has a major part to play under incoming coach Carlo Ancelotti speculation intensifies.

According to Mundo Deportivo the two parties still remain some distance apart during negotiations for a contract extension and are reporting that Viola technical director Eduardo Macia has now been discussing a potential move to the Florence based club with his agent.

Xabi Alonso fires Barcelona warning

The Spaniard believes the Bernabeu outfit are already competitive ahead of the new season and paid tribute to assistant coach Zinedine Zidane

Xabi Alonso has fired a warning to Barcelona by claiming Real Madrid are in rude health after bolstering their squad in the transfer window.

Los Blancos were beaten to La Liga by Barcelona last season and lost the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid, resulting in the departure of Jose Mourinho and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti in the Madrid hotseat.