Spanish football coach Xabi Alonso has also impressed his compatriot Pep Guardiola with his work at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. The Manchester City coach praised Alonso highly at the press conference before the cup game against Luton Town. “Honestly, wow!” said Guardiola when asked about Alonso and league leaders Leverkusen. “They are the only team in modern football that is still unbeaten in all competitions, and they are fighting with Bayern Munich.”
After 23 games, Bayer leads the Bundesliga table by eight points over defending champions Bayern Munich. “They are currently having their strongest season,” said Guardiola. “Now they are in a position where they can no longer win the Bundesliga, they can only lose it because everyone thinks it is already done. This is the hardest thing now. It’s not over until it’s over.”
Guardiola was Alonso’s coach at Bayern Munich from 2014 to 2016. “I was incredibly lucky to coach him,” enthused the 53-year-old, who won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup with Man City last season. “He’s such an intelligent player. He was an incredible top player, otherwise he wouldn’t have played in Liverpool, Madrid and Bayern Munich.” The 42-year-old Alonso made good decisions. “And I’m really happy for him.”
also read
It is uncertain whether Alonso will stay in Leverkusen beyond the end of the season. The Spaniard is currently one of the most sought-after coaches in world football. Four experts analyzed Alonso’s options for this editorial team:
also read
Lothar Matthäus (62) is a Sky expert. He played 410 games for Bayern and became champions seven times with the club: “If FC Bayern didn’t take care of Xabi Alonso, they would make the next mistake. The task in Munich would be more rewarding for him than in Liverpool to become the successor to the revered Jürgen Klopp.
However, I don’t currently see any acute reason for Alonso to have to think about Bayern or Liverpool, because he is in good hands at Leverkusen. The team plays its own football, no one talks into him, he can develop something there. The appeal of playing the Champions League with this team could be very great. The club is a unit.
Matthäus emphasizes that Bayern would have to turn a blind eye to Alonso from a tactical perspective
Source: Getty Images/Matthias Hangst
The entertainment value of Alonso’s football is extremely high – that’s why FC Bayern must see him as the first candidate. However, the club would have to move away from one credo: Uli Hoeneß said that since van Gaal, FC Bayern has always had to play in a 4-2-3-1 system. Those responsible under Alonso would have to move away from the back four because he relies on the back three. But even Uli Hoeneß would turn a blind eye to that.
Here you will find content from Twitter
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
But Bayern shouldn’t just rely on him: For me, Sebastian Hoeneß is the number 2 candidate for the coaching position after Xabi Alonso. He knows the Bundesliga and has a lot of support based on his last name alone. I don’t see any other top candidates. Zinédine Zidane doesn’t speak German and has never played in the Bundesliga.”
Michael Ballack (47) works as an expert for DAZN, the former captain of the German national team played 155 competitive games for Bayer Leverkusen: “Xabi Alonso is doing a great job at Leverkusen and interpreting it outstandingly, which is why he is rightly one of the most sought-after coaches on the market. At Bayer he has found a top team with whom he can develop his ideas excellently. He also managed to give the team the winning mentality they needed. Leverkusen is eight points ahead of FC Bayern, is in the DFB Cup semi-finals and is still doing well in the Europa League. There has been a great chance of winning titles again for many years.
Michael Ballack works as an expert for DAZN. He advises Alonso not to get carried away
Source: dpa/Tom Weller
You don’t have to give Xabi Alonso any advice, as a player he has experienced everything and worked at a top level under top coaches. But I think it makes sense – if you work well somewhere and are really happy – to continue the project and, in your case, to stay in Leverkusen. Especially since he still has a contract until 2026. Leverkusen offers ideal conditions, especially for a young coach. There is calm in the club and the surrounding area, and everyone has your back if there is a dip in the sport. It’s different at the top clubs. Xabi Alonso appreciates that. That’s why he chose Leverkusen, because he certainly had other options. As far as his personal future is concerned, he should be relaxed about that.”
Bernd Schuster (64) played 84 games for Real as a professional and 75 games as a coach: “Xabi’s situation reminds me of a similar situation I was in a few years ago. Back then, I coached my team Getafe into the European Cup and then went to Real Madrid. Afterwards I thought to myself that I would have liked to have played with Getafe as a smaller club in the European Cup. This was the first time in Europe for this club in its history and would therefore have been a wonderful story. So that’s hard to decide.
also read
I would understand Xabi in every decision he makes. But what I can say for sure is that sometimes you have to be careful not to want everything too quickly. As a young coach you still have a lot to learn. And if, like Xabi, you already have your own team that he has strongly brought together and developed, it is also a really interesting task to go one step further with this team.”
Dietmar Hamann (50) played for Liverpool FC from 1999 to 2006: “If Xabi Alonso doesn’t stay at Bayer Leverkusen, then I would advise him to go to Liverpool FC. I absolutely trust him to take on this task. And I don’t think he’s going to FC Bayern. There are big shoes to fill in Liverpool after the Klopp era, but Alonso could now seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Dietmar Hamann recommends Alonso go to Liverpool FC
Source: dpa/Sven Hoppe
And I don’t see anyone as having such good conditions for it to work as he does: the fans in Liverpool adore him. When he left as a player, he had problems with coach Rafael Benítez. But that has long since been resolved. From a Liverpool perspective, I would be very happy if he took over from Klopp.”
The text was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in SPORT BILD.
