When Xavi Alonso retired, football legends sent him messages of blessings. Among them, Guardiola's message is particularly eye-catching. "Enjoy your retirement," he said. But I bet six months from now, you'll be desperate to start preparing for coaching. ”
Everyone knows Alonso will be the manager, and not just because of the way he behaves on the pitch and the way he plays.
As Pep Guardiola said, Alonso is very inquisitive and very serious. He makes football look fun, but he treats football like work.
Last season, when Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rolfes spoke about Alonso's traits that attracted him, he emphasised the importance of the aforementioned character traits. "Harvey is also Basque, and the people there are like workers."
This is undoubtedly a stereotype, but it has been reinforced as Arteta and Unai Emery have led their side to the top of the table in the Bundesliga and Premier League respectively. Alonso is a worker at heart, but he adds many layers to that identity during his travels. Everyone can see it.
Pizarro wore the number 14 shirt at Bayern, which is exactly the number Alonso carried at Liverpool and Real Madrid. The two touched on this topic at their first meeting. "He said we need to talk about the number. Pizarro said.
Alonso had to wait a year to get the shirt, but Pizarro remembers the season they spent together fresh and he saw a future manager. 'We know that everybody who plays with him knows that he's always directing everybody, communicating with the players and he's a good leader. ”
Now, at the age of 42, Alonso is a very old young marshal. Pizarro said: "We call people like them 'old foxes,' and they have seen a lot of things before anyone else. They don't babble, but they're generally the smartest people on the team.
Everyone knew Alonso was going to be the manager, but no one thought he would do so well.
Originally, it was Dortmund who were most likely to end Bayern's dynasty, but they failed and pulled their hips in the final round of last season, allowing Bayern to complete the great cause of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles
So, who is the second club with the potential to bring down Bayern? Maybe Leipzig, not Bayer Leverkusen anyway. When Alonso took charge last October, he was tasked with relegation rather than title. But now, halfway through the season, Bayer Leverkusen are leading the way.
"I'm very happy that he's doing such a good job. Xavi is a good guy, a good player and now he's proving that he's a good manager. I'm really happy for him. His job at Bayer Leverkusen is special and it's a great result for the team and for him. Pizarro said.
Bayer Leverkusen have achieved impressive results, going unbeaten in all competitions this season and are the only team in Europe to do so. However, it is the way in which rookie coach Marcos Alonso has tackled the challenge that is most impressive.
Last season, Alonso relied on counter-attacks and used his attacking speed to lead his team out of danger. Over time, Alonso has placed more emphasis on complex passing, but Bayer Leverkusen are still a team that can win in a variety of ways.
Asked about the requirements of managing Bayer Leverkusen, Rolfes said: "Working with young players is key. But when it comes to rebuilding his squad in the summer, Alonso is not prepared to repeat the mistakes of Chelsea, filling the squad with youngsters. He also wants to win games. ”
It was courage, rather than selfishness, that brought more pressure to the youngsters of Bayer Leverkusen and the more effective veterans of the field. Xhaka has been playing well in a more central position since arriving at Bayer Leverkusen from Arsenal.
Pizarro said: "Xavi put Xhaka in a position where he could control the game. Xavi has played in that position himself, so he knows what to do. He knows [Xhaka] has a key role to play. He took Xhaka and put Xhaka in this position and Xhaka played well. “
In fact, it wasn't just Haka, Grimaldo was on the flanks and centre-forward Boniface was playing his best form of his career. After Boniface was injured, Bayer Leverkusen continued to play well.
Everyone knows Alonso will be the manager, but no one knows how he will chart his career path.
Alonso was too patient, returning to Real Shrine to coach Team B first, and did not use it as a springboard, he did it for three years, experiencing promotion and relegation once.
Before he chose Bayer Leverkusen, there were offers from major European clubs, and now he is being targeted by bigger clubs. According to reports, in his contract, there is a clause that states that he has the right to negotiate with his old club. Recently, many media outlets have reported that Liverpool are interested in bringing him in charge.
"He can succeed anywhere he wants to go. "If you look at his way at Bayer Leverkusen right now, you know he's going to be a great coach in the future." He's always communicating with the players, he's got a lot of experience. Let's wait and see. ”
Before that, Bayer Leverkusen have a chance to make history, as the club has never won the Bundesliga before. This is a great opportunity to break Bayern's streak. Even if there are big things ahead of him, these months could be the most important months of his coaching career.
The suspense of the Bundesliga title is still to be revealed, and Alonso's future is bright. "Wherever he decides to go, he's going to do well. He knows everything about football. This is very important. Pizarro said. That's another reason why everyone knows Alonso will be the manager.