Europe’s most wanted coach Xabi Alonso has rejected advances from big clubs like Liverpool and Bayern Munich opting to remain at the BayArena instead. The Spaniard has decided to stick with Bayer Leverkusen for one more season.
“My job is not over here. Putting everything together, I’ve taken this important decision. I am convinced it’s the right one,” he said.
“This is my first full season as a manager. I still have a lot of things to prove and to experience. Right now, I have a situation where I feel really stable and happy.”
Alonso’s decision means Liverpool and Bayern Munich will have to look somewhere else. Liverpool will now be looking at Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim to potentially take over from Klopp who is set to leave at the end of the season while Bayern Munich are still exploring their options. They may even bring back Julian Nagelsmann.
Nothing is set in stone yet but Amorim the stars may be aligning for Amorim to be the next Liverpool coach as the 39-year-old Portuguese has not decided whether he will stay at Sporting CP or not; his future is still quite ambiguous. “I cannot make any guarantees [that I will stay at Sporting next season],” Amorim said when he was asked about his future at Sporting Lisbon.
Ruben Amorim
For Bayern Munich, the choice of their future coach is no longer clear after Alonso announced his decision to remain at Bayer Leverkusen; Alonso was their top choice. One thing is sure though, Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season.
Alonso’s decision has also been regarded by many as positioning him to become Real Madrid coach replacing Carlo Ancelloti in 2025. Spanish outlet Nacional even said Alonso has decided that he wants to sign for Real Madrid. They claim that Ancelloti whose contract extends till 2026 will leave Madrid next year and this is when Alonso will become the new Real Madrid boss. While his decision has dealt a blow to both Liverpool and Bayern Munich, it fits almost perfectly into Real Madrid’s plans. Perhaps Madrid will be playing Alonso ball by 2026.
Alonso is working wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. He took Bayer Leverkusen from the 17th position they were in the Bundesliga when he joined the club to the top of the Bundesliga this season. Alonso’s Leverkusen remains unbeaten this season in all competitions after 41 matches. If all goes their way, they could win the treble of the Bundesliga, the Europa League and the DFB Pokal and they could do it unbeaten.
What do you think of Alonso’s decision to stay at Leverkusen? Do you think he made the right choice?