MARCA was one of the media invited to a round table with the fashion coach of the Bundesliga, the Spanish Xabi Alonso, who has just beaten Bayern on the day before the international break and who, since he took over the team on October 5, 2022, has remarkably straightened the Bayer ship. Leverkusen has five consecutive victories in the Bundesliga and Europa League, a tournament in which it is in the quarterfinals (vs. Belgian Union SG). Against Bayern, his club, Xabi (XA) bordered on excellence.
At the round table, XA gave us his first reflections: “We are in a good moment, we have caught a good run. We knew that the challenge was great and now, with two months to go, we are very much alive and with great expectations, even though we have a very complicated schedule”. His evolution as a coach was analyzed as follows by himself: “I have been adapting to the players, from Real B to Bayer. I have evolved and I have been able to connect with them and help them. It is being a very powerful stage in my career, good to mature”.
Xabi, with the editor of MARCA.
When Xabi picked up Bayer 04 was penultimate in the Bundesliga table. He is now eighth in the table. If he only took the time since XA is in the Bundesliga, his Bayer would be fourth in the standings. Many who have not seen coach Xabi will wonder what his style is. This is what the coach explained to us when asked by MARCA: “I have influence from all the coaches I had… and I was lucky to be with great ones. They all left their mark on me. My style is defined by the players I have and I adapt to them.”
His work at Leverkusen gave a lot of his time as a player: “Day to day is more intense. In my young career, it has been a very powerful challenge come here, with everything we still have to do. We have improved the situation, but we want to develop a good project for the future of the club”.
One of his references in football It has been Carlo Ancelotti, a coach with whom he won the Champions League at Real Madrid (2013-14). Xabi speaks, therefore, of the Real Madrid coach: “Is he going to go to Brazil? It’s difficult to talk about rumors. But, in any case, I have great personal affection for Carlo because of what I experienced with him, and because of his personality . All the players have great memories of him. He is a special coach for me, he is in a special club, and with the important challenge of being able to repeat last year’s Champions League. Hopefully he can get it, and I’d be happy for him.”
Finally, he analyzed his future: “I don’t know what’s going to happen… and I don’t know where I’ll gobut the adaptation to Bayer has been very good”. l
