“In his age group, he is the most promising”, how Xabi Alonso transformed Bayer Leverkusen and attracts all eyes

The former midfielder is leader of the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, before facing Stuttgart on Sunday, during the 14th day.

He was an esthete of the game and a strategist in midfield, will he be an outstanding tactician once on the bench? In any case, Xabi Alonso is heading there. Bundesliga leader with Bayer Leverkusen, the Spanish technician and his men face Stuttgart, Sunday December 10, on the 14th day, for what will be his 40th championship match on the Bayer bench.

An unexpected situation for Leverkusen a year and a half ago, when the 42-year-old technician took over, at the beginning of October 2022, the club in penultimate place in the standings, with only one victory and five defeats on the clock.

Bayer Leverkusen, the only team still undefeated in the five major European championships, is on its way to sweeping away the inglorious nickname “Bayer Neverkusen”, given since the Champions League final lost in 2002 against Real Madrid. The German team, under the orders of Xabi Alonso, is still in the race to end the supremacy of Bayern Munich, German champion for 11 seasons.

How did Xabi Alonso, who has only been coaching since 2019, achieve such a feat? Thanks to a precise playing philosophy and dazzling results which made the Spaniard the technician in vogue, although he had only known the Real Sociedad reserve until then.

Having passed through Liverpool, Real Madrid and even Bayern Munich as a player, Xabi Alonso had the time to rub shoulders with the best coaches in the world like Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti. He knew how to absorb their principles in order to transcribe them into the game displayed today by his team. And after 39 games, Xabi Alonso even has a better record than some of his mentors.

His methods are the fruit of his learning alongside them. His dressing room management is inspired by that of Carlo Ancelotti, whom he described as “a master for everyone” from the AFP. On the other hand, despite his Spanish nationality and his game based on “quality of the pass to control the ball”he rejects the idea of ​​tiki-taka, proposed in particular by Pep Guardiola. “Tiki-taka is a bit of defensive ball possession. I have practiced it but we have other things”, reveals the 2010 world champion and double European champion (2008 and 2012), who experienced this style of play with Spain.

Rather influenced by German philosophy, he favors “change of tempo to pass behind the opposing midfielder”, made possible thanks to technically fine and intelligent players in positioning like Florian Wirtz, playing master of Bayer Leverkusen. The 20-year-old German, considered one of the best prospects in world football, shines alongside rapid pistons in transition like Jérémie Frimpong or Alex Grimaldo. The latter arrived free of any contract last summer at the same time as striker Victor Boniface, both sparkling this season and symbols of Bayer’s successful transfer window. Xabi Alonso also managed to rebalance Bayer Leverkusen with the move to a three-man defense.

A coach in the image of the player

Second best attack in the Bundesliga with 38 goals scored in 13 games, Leverkusen is a team with an attractive forward game, made possible thanks to the freedom given by Xabi Alonso to his players. “On the pitch, I was encouraged to make my own decisions. That’s something I really want to push and remind the players. They’re not robots.”recalled Xabi Alonso to AFP.

Because the Basque is a coach with principles that were already his when he was a player, as assured by Anthony Le Tallec, who worked with him for one season (2005-2006) during his time at Liverpool. “I’m not surprised that he has such results today, he assures franceinfo: sport. The Leverkusen team is like Xabi Alonso when he was a player., adds Anthony Le Tallec, who describes his ex-teammate as someone unifying and a perfectionist.

Christophe Kuchly, journalist and author of the book Revolutionary coaches in football (Editions Solar), shares this opinion. “He implements what he knew as a player by combining possession and transition play”. Both men agree that his charisma has a major impact on his success. “He is young and yet he does not have to prove himself when he enters a locker room, because Xabi Alonso is a name that speaks to the players. He has a certain natural authority with them,” believes Christophe Kuchly in particular.

A destiny all mapped out for him? His results are already attracting big clubs, notably Real Madrid, but Xabi Alonso is firm for the moment: “I am very comfortable here. I am very attached to this club” he called back to Movistar. Enough to consider eventually entering the box of great football technicians, judge Christophe Kuchly. “In his age group and among emerging coaches, he is the most promising”. In the meantime, Xabi Alonso is looking forward to “100%” at Bayer Leverkusen. Will he be the one to bury the cumbersome nickname “Neverkusen” which has lasted for almost 22 years?