The Bavarians are no strangers to pinching talent from their domestic rivals, but hiring the Bayer Leverkusen manager would be on another level
By all indications, Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season. The team that he has built and fine-tuned seems set to collapse after its greatest achievement – the eyes of big-spenders all over Europe turning their gaze to the presumptive Bundesliga champions.
This, of course, will be a shame. Leverkusen are an immensely exciting team to watch and have destabilised what was becoming a dull, well-established order at the top of the German top flight. They could yet finish the season unbeaten in all competitions, with three trophies well within their grasp. And even if things go awry, Alonso has still coached Leverkusen to one of, if not the great season in club history.
Bigger things, therefore, will soon beckon, though Alonso next move isn’t yet clear, with it still a toss-up between Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and Premier League title-chasers Liverpool as to which of his former clubs he will take charge of this summer.
Article continues below
Still, there is an ominous sense that Bayern are pulling narrowly ahead in the race to hire Europe’s most coveted coach. If they pull it off, it will be the ultimate coup in a lengthy history of the club picking off best talent from their domestic rivals.
- Getty ImagesEurope’s most wantedIt’s hard to remember a summer where there is expected to be so much managerial change at the very top of the game. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all already know that they need to be looking for new faces in the dugout, while Manchester United and Chelsea could yet join them in that search. Factor in potential departures from top international jobs following the European Championship and Copa America, and the number of elite-level vacancies could be at an all-time high.With a finite number of top-tier candidates to go around, Alonso would seem to be the best. Barring a legendary collapse, the Spain legend will end Bayern’s 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga, all while playing eye-catching football on a limited budget.When he took over just 18 months ago, Leverkusen were in the relegation zone, were poor defensively and had no real attacking direction. Since then, despite losing some of his top talents, Alonso has reinvented the team. They are yet to lose this season, will probably claim the league crown by at least 10 points, and are among the favourties to win the Europa League, too.The Spaniard has united a disillusioned fan base, got the best out of some of Europe’s best young talents, and found the kind of value in the transfer market that big clubs across Europe consistently fail to seek out. It is only natural, then, that Alonso is the manager everyone wants. In a game that relies so heavily on marginal gains and minute advantages, Alonso would seem to be the kind of coach that could get the best out of any team.
free football prediction site