Renowned former footballer Xabi Alonso has stunned fans and pundits alike with his decision to remain at Bayer Leverkusen despite lucrative offers from top clubs.
The ex-midfield maestro, celebrated for his exceptional playing career with Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, has successfully transitioned into management, leading Leverkusen to unexpected heights.
He has all the ingredients to become a top manager”, Mourinho once said in an interview, citing the Spaniard’s playing career under experienced mangers such as himself, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and so on.Could he have seen the future? Well maybe.
Presently, Xabi Alonso has proven himself to be the tactician his former boss predicted. In his first significant role in senior football since transitioning from player to manager, the 42-year-old has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for Bayer Leverkusen. When he took over, the team was on the brink of relegation, but under his guidance, they have risen to the top of the table, boasting a lead of over 5 points ahead of Bayern Munich in just under a year into his tenure.
Under his stewardship, the team has flourished, boasting an unbeaten record across all competitions in Europe this season.
Alonso’s remarkable success at Bayer Leverkusen has attracted interest from his former clubs Madrid, Bayern, and Liverpool, all vying for his managerial services next season. However, to everyone’s surprise, Alonso declined these prestigious offers, opting instead to honor his contract with Leverkusen until 2025.
Speculation abounds regarding his decision, but one possible explanation is Alonso’s view of himself as young and inexperienced in the managerial realm. Despite his rapid ascent to success, he may feel that continuing at Leverkusen offers him valuable opportunities for growth and development.
Admitting in his statement that he is only a young manager and rightly so, can be seen as one of the major reasons for this decision. In a footballing world where impatience has become a staple between coaches and their employers, to avoid such a fate like that early on in his career is quite important.
Despite getting Leverkusen to punch well above their weight, it’s still not out of line to say he is quite inexperienced and doesn’t hold quite a strong reputation as a manager yet, as a potential fall off from the current standard can dent his reputation for a long time. An example is Steven Gerrard whose name was all over the place after achieving an unbeaten season at Rangers in Scotland only to be sacked by Aston Villa, barely a year after being appointed. Also knowing his limits could be another factor. With Champions League football looming large next season, he can relish the potential of facing Europe’s elite clubs which could give him a sense of his limits tactically and make improvements.
Klopp once had this to say regarding Coutinho’s move to Barcelona, ” Stay at Liverpool, win titles, and create a legacy for yourself or go somewhere else and win, but you’d be regarded as just another player.” This in a way applies to Xabi, He has to opportunity to create a legacy where many have failed and where trophies are almost alien to a side once nicknamed “Neverkusen” after an unlucky 2000-01 season where they lost the UCL to Real Madrid, bottled the league after topping with 5 points with 3 to 4 games to spare and losing the DFB pokal in the Final.
Ultimately, his decision to stay at Leverkusen appears to be the right one. Accumulating more experience at the club will undoubtedly enhance his prospects for securing high-profile managerial positions in the future
Williams MBEY