Xabi Alonso’s success with Bayer Leverkusen has made him a hit once again in the football circle, this time as a manager. Jose Mourinho had predicted that the Spaniard would excel at coaching several years before it is finally manifesting this season.
Speaking in an interview on the official FIFA website back in 2010, the Portuguese tactician predicted that Xabi Alonso would succeed if he takes to management after hanging his boots. Mourinho added that the Spaniard reminded him of current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who was back then managing Barcelona.
“He has the quality that a ‘metronome’ must have,” Jose Mourinho said at the time. “I’m sure that when he hangs up his boots he’ll be a great coach if he wants to be. He reminds me of Pep Guardiola when I had him as a player. He was already a coach on the pitch,” he added.
For the unversed, Guardiola worked with Jose Mourinho at Barcelona. At the time, the Portuguese was an assistant manager at Barcelona – a role he held between 1996 and 2000 – while Guardiola was captain of the team (between 1997 and 2001).
Coming to Alonso, he has taken the Bundesliga by storm this season, with his team sitting at the top of the table right now with 52 points – two points above second-placed Bayern Munich. They are unbeaten in the league, with 16 wins and four draws in 20 league games.
They’ve also progressed into the semifinals of the German Cup. Up next, Alonso’s men will go head-to-head with the Bavarians in a top-of-the-table league face-off this weekend, winning which could send them five points clear at the summit.
Xabi Alonso linked with Liverpool job – Reports
The football world was rocked when Jurgen Klopp recently revealed that he’d be parting ways with Liverpool at the end of the season. Shortly after the announcement, rumors started emerging regarding his potential successors.
Multiple sources have already linked Xabi Alonso with the job. Football365 recently reported that the Reds have a first approach to the Spaniard in a bid to convince him to take over from Klopp at Anfield next term.
Being an ex-Reds star who is loved by the fans, the prospect could be quite tempting for Alonso. He reportedly (Sports Mole) has a clause in his contract which will allow him to leave Leverkusen at the end of the current season should anyway of his former clubs come calling (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Liverpool). Alonso’s contract at Leverkusen reportedly runs till 2026.
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