Xabi Alonso is in consideration for the top job at Bayer Leverkusen. Thomas Tuchel had earlier turned down the offer from Bayer Leverkusen to become their new manager.
Zinedine Zidane is the most recognizable among the elite players during their playing days and repeated the same feat as a manager.
Real Madrid legend Zidane is the only man to lead a team to three consecutive Champions League titles. Pep Guardiola is another manager that has written his name in gold. He won two Champions League titles with Barcelona and has won the league at every team he has managed.
While there are great names to call on, there have also been players who have not cut it. Steven Gerard is struggling at Aston Villa, same with Frank Lampard at Everton, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not been linked with any coaching job since his debacle at United. It is a murky terrain, but Xabi Alonso is not afraid to participate in it. The former Real Madrid midfielder is about to move to the next level of his coaching career.
Xabi Alonso is keen to move to the next level
After a successful career highlighted by solid performances at Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso is now a coach. Alonso, a former Los Blancos midfielder, turned down the opportunity to coach a senior team as he believed he was not ready and is now keen on a top job.
Following three years of coaching the Real Sociedad B side, Xabi Alonso has decided it is time to step up to the main sauce. Alonso is on the verge of landing his elite football gig. The former Liverpool player has not hidden his desire to try his hands at managing a senior side.
According to recent reports, Bayer Leverkusen is considering hiring the former Spain international. The Bundesliga side is struggling this season, and the pressure is mounting on their current manager Gerardo Seoane. The travails of the team are about to cost the Swiss coach his job, with reports suggesting he could be out of work this week. Leverkusen is in the bottom three of the Bundesliga with five points from eight games.
Of Thomas Tuchel and Xabi Alonso
Bayer Leverkusen had their eyes on a former Bundesliga coach. A few reports claimed Leverkusen was targeting Thomas Tuchel, who just lost his job at Chelsea. Tuchel has only been out of work for about a month.
Chelsea’s poor start to the season ensured that the hierarchy wielded the hammer. Despite losing his job, Tuchel still has a high reputation, and according to Sport 1, Leverkusen approached the former Chelsea manager. Tuchel turned down the offer.
As Tuchel looks for his next opportunity, ESPN reports that Alonso is now the leading contender for the job. The former Real Madrid midfielder is open to taking on the challenge. The Spaniard believes he can turn the team’s fortunes around. Alonso (40) has spent three years coaching Real Sociedad B and has built a reputation as a sharp coaching mind.
