Bayer Leverkusen wins Bundesliga: Hats off to Xabi Alonso

When Xabi Alonso ended his illustrious playing career, Pep Guardiola – who worked with him at Bayern Munich – said world football had lost one of its greatest midfielders. However, the Spaniard immediately predicted: "He will be back in coaching soon and wherever he is, I bet he will do well."

In fact, what Alonso has shown in his coaching career that lasted less than 2 years (before returning to Leverkusen in 2022, Alonso only led Real Sociedad's B team) is probably more than "doing well".

Xabi Alonso's mark

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp has called Alonso one of the standout performers in a new generation of managers who can make a difference. That's why Liverpool are looking to sign the former Anfield midfielder to succeed Klopp, while Bayern Munich are also eyeing their former man to replace Thomas Tuchel. Real Madrid could also be in the race.

Xabi Alonso helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga for the first time, "overthrowing" Bayern Munich's 11-year dominance in the tournament. (Photo: Getty Images)

There is no coach more sought after than Xabi Alonso at the moment.

However, back in 2022 when Bayer Leverkusen appointed the World Cup, EURO, Champions League champion... as head coach, it was a decision that caused a lot of skepticism. The Bay Arena team was in crisis at that time.

"We saw Xabi as a world-class star, but still an inexperienced coach who had never led a strong team. However, I was convinced from day one because of his ability," said Leverkusen's sporting director Simon Rolfes.

It's important that the team's players think the same. Jeremie Frimpong - a prominent figure at Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso - said: "He won everything. For a player, having a coach like that is an honor. He knows how to run the team, knows our strengths and weaknesses."

Under Alonso's leadership, Leverkusen rose from second to last place to 6th in the 2022/23 season.

Not everyone has the courage to turn down the offers of Bayern Munich and Liverpool. But, Bayer Leverkusen has something strong enough to keep Xabi Alonso. The atmosphere of the team that Alonso has built makes him not want to leave at the present time.

According to Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro, Alonso's meticulous approach based on detailed analysis and confidence was an important factor in convincing the whole team. The former Spanish midfielder also focused on communication to build relationships with the players, through listening and talking every day, not just giving instructions and implementing.

"The coach has ideas and the players need to believe. This is why the relationship between people is more important than tactics," Alonso explained.

Defender Grimaldo said he and his teammates always stay relaxed and calm no matter the situation, thanks to the belief that Alonso has instilled in them. The mental factor is very important in maintaining the unbeaten streak since the beginning of the season.

Undefeated squad

Leverkusen spent 90 million euros on players in total, but the Bay Arena side also recouped around two-thirds of that figure by selling their best player, Moussa Diaby, to Aston Villa. The investment paid off, with all the new signings proving to be successful. Granit Xhaka, Jonas Hoffman, Victor Boniface and Alex Grimaldo made their mark in the Bundesliga's new champions.

New recruits like Xhaka combined with the existing potential players create an unbeaten squad for Leverkusen.

Boniface scored just nine goals in his final season at Union Saint Gilloise (Belgium). However, the Nigerian player proved himself to be the perfect fit for Alonso's 3-4-2-1 formation. Boniface scored 16 goals and provided eight assists for his teammates before suffering an injury in December.

However, Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten run was not interrupted. Alonso quickly found a replacement within the available squad. Amine Adli played well and Patrik Schick also regained form after recovering from injury.

Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka has shown that leaving Arsenal is not a step backwards in his career at the age of 30. Grimaldo is the player who has played the most for Bayer Leverkusen this season, and together with Frimpong, he has formed one of the most effective full-back pairs in the world (contributing to 48 goals since the beginning of the season in all competitions).

Of course, Alonso does not only rely on the transfer market. The former Spanish midfielder also shows his "good hand" with Bayer Leverkusen's available factors. That is the case with Florian Wirtz - a player who is only 20 years old this year. The number of 17 goals and 18 assists shows the great influence of Germany's top young talent in the unbeaten journey of the Bay Arena team.

Bayer Leverkusen are still unbeaten this season. The Vizekuzen (or Neverkusen, referring to the team that never wins) curse has been broken. Bayer Leverkusen have won the Bundesliga for the first time and are on the verge of an unprecedented treble in the club's history. Alonso and his players still have the German Cup final to play and have a great chance of reaching the Europa League semi-finals after beating West Ham 2-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Phuong Mai

Source