If he finished 4th or 5th next season will people still be hot on him?
Xabi Alonso: Bayer Leverkusen manager - Bundesliga Dinner Plate Winner
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Former Liverpool player Matt Busby did alright to be fair.
Yes, he is. At least for Real Madrid but I guess he's also fondly remember by Liverpool fans as he won a Champions League with them and was already a class player.
It's not like we're talking about Gerrard or Carragher here. Don't see why we wouldn't want Alonso just because he played at Liverpool for a few years
Not that I think Barcelona is an option for Alonso currently, But he doesnt strike me like someone that has deep sentiments against Barca/Madrid. He is Basque and can't remember him being that in the thick of the Barcelonavs Madrid rivalry like say someone like Ramos Pique, Xavi etc
The best friends as kids Arteta and Alonso leading in El Classico Barcelona and Real Madrid would be glorious.
He's Basque more than anything and like others have already commented plenty of times he has a preference for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool. Him going to Barcelona would be like us appointing Xavi Hernández as our coach. With his track record I'm sure Barcelona executives would consider him but at the very least his not moving this season and they need a new manager right now.
I can totally see them holding arms and jumping together with the la Liga trophy.
He was very strongly identified with madridismo when tensions between fanbases were at an all time high with Mourinho. He was also one of the players closest to Mou. He's not Ramos or Pepe or Cristiano or Mourinho, but the culers kinda hate him too. Xabi was no saint on the pitch...
Yeah I just pointed out it’s not like he’s from any of these cities or is a boyhood fan. I also don’t really get the alternative to what people are expecting he’d say in these interviews where he’s asked about Pool, Bayern or Real? He’s hardly going to to say ‘I enjoyed my time there but I’d never go back’.
I think he’s Real bound and it’s already locked in. Makes easily the most career sense.
There is a rumor that says that before leaving Madrid he cheated on his wife with the singer of a group called Russian red (who even wrote a song called "Xabier").
Supposedly Nagore, his wife, demanded him to leave Madrid. That's why he left in 2014, when he had renewed a few months earlier, and not because of the signing of Kroos.
That this veto is still in place is the only reason I can think of for him not to come.
But calma madridistas calma...
Fortunately I have a friend who plays football with Arbeloa(super Xabi friend) once a week and works with his family, so I will work as the yellow press to try to find out everything in due time
Supposedly Nagore, his wife, demanded him to leave Madrid. That's why he left in 2014, when he had renewed a few months earlier, and not because of the signing of Kroos.
That this veto is still in place is the only reason I can think of for him not to come.
But calma madridistas calma...
Fortunately I have a friend who plays football with Arbeloa(super Xabi friend) once a week and works with his family, so I will work as the yellow press to try to find out everything in due time
Nigel de Jong knew and took appropiate action against the Menace Alonso.
Make no mistake, Alonso is the next superstar in the world of football managers, Pep level. What he has done at Leverkusen this season is up there with the best managerial work I've witnessed. He will retire one day with a trophy cabinet as big as the biggest.
If he’s good enough why not? Busby played for Liverpool and City.
The idea that there’s a chasm in cachet between United and Liverpool is mental.
We’re of equal stature and both sets of fans can make a case for being bigger. That’s why it’s the best rivalry in England.
At some points one or the other team is the tougher/bigger/more glamour role. But that pendulum has swung back and forth over the decades.
We should all cherish it. We wouldn’t have the ability to laugh at their failings if they were some second rate club. They have history, success, haven’t spent decades in irrelevance. Their city has great politics that are similar to Manchester. Our similarities and success create the rivalry. Diminishing that is supremely small time.
Obviously I hate them.
IMO we should go all out for him.
He is the current "best-in-class" option for us.
He is the current "best-in-class" option for us.
He is but he is not coming, not a chance.
Took an underachieving squad from a relegation spot, added six impact players with transfer fees totalling €68M, on net spendings of €12M. Imagine what he´s going to do with €400M. 
Sure at some stage to maintain a certain level of squad/team you need big money, but having a great sporting director and manager is the key to everything.
Their DOF Simon Rolfes and the whole scouting department should get some credit.
Tah and Hradecky are from before 2019, since....
2019: Tapsoba, Palacios, Diaby
2020: Schick, Frimpong, (Promotion of) Wirtz
2021: Kossounou, Adli, Hincapie, Andrich
2022: ....
2023: Grimaldo, Boniface, Hoffmann, Xhaka, Tella, Stanisic (loan)
They knocked the 2023 window out of the park, but they have been gradually building to this by finding gems in the transfer market, and even absorbing some expensive flops like Demirbay, Paulinho, Alario, Retsos, and still come out with a net spending of plus €3M largely thanks to selling Havertz, Leno, Henrichs, Brandt, Diaby and Bailey.
Sure at some stage to maintain a certain level of squad/team you need big money, but having a great sporting director and manager is the key to everything.
Their DOF Simon Rolfes and the whole scouting department should get some credit.
Tah and Hradecky are from before 2019, since....
2019: Tapsoba, Palacios, Diaby
2020: Schick, Frimpong, (Promotion of) Wirtz
2021: Kossounou, Adli, Hincapie, Andrich
2022: ....
2023: Grimaldo, Boniface, Hoffmann, Xhaka, Tella, Stanisic (loan)
They knocked the 2023 window out of the park, but they have been gradually building to this by finding gems in the transfer market, and even absorbing some expensive flops like Demirbay, Paulinho, Alario, Retsos, and still come out with a net spending of plus €3M largely thanks to selling Havertz, Leno, Henrichs, Brandt, Diaby and Bailey.
That has nothing to do with the rivalry but if you think it does, it's ok mate.
His success at Leverkusen should really put to bed all the nonsense about multi-year "processes" and giving years worth of chances at a time to failing managers.
We should attempt to sign him at the very least, though it looks like he'll stay for another season before moving to Real Madrid.
We should attempt to sign him at the very least, though it looks like he'll stay for another season before moving to Real Madrid.
As soon as Liverpool appoint their new manager, we should make contact and ask what he wants to take the job the season after next. Can’t hurt to enquire
Cruel man. If people are not allowed to say "trust the process", they have nothing left. Alonso is a danger to the coaching and pundit profession. I hope he keeps his pesky behind in Germany and doesn't pollute the Prem with his handball style tactics
Just in recent memory, we've had Ranieri and Conte (Chelsea) do that in the PL. Doesn't help. There will always be excuses about how our manager is facing unique challenges.
It has everything to do with the size of the rivalry. Don't talk nonsense.
And Captain.
When we talk about quick and successful fixes Tuchel's CL win with Chelsea has to be mentioned as well I think.
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1780149882441109961
We can all see it coming, I'd rather see him do well in Madrid than going to Liverpool.
We can all see it coming, I'd rather see him do well in Madrid than going to Liverpool.
That happened so fast I still don't believe it!
Much as I can't stand the cnut, if he was actually a brilliant manager I'd take him in a heartbeat if he wanted to manage us.
He wouldn't though and neither would Xabi.
The rivalry - including the bitterness and tribalism - has changed since the 1940/50's, you'd have to be blind not to see it.
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Had chance to meet him today, over some Germany friends, it was nothing that big but in those few minutes I could have seen that dude is full of charisma. I always have respect for people who looks you in the eyes when talks with you. And he knows his talk.
If he had told me that I leave my job and put cones for him I would do it. I would be his Phelan. For free.
Jimmy should be all over this.
Great player for 3 big clubs, but IMHO he will be better manager.
If he had told me that I leave my job and put cones for him I would do it. I would be his Phelan. For free.
Jimmy should be all over this.
Great player for 3 big clubs, but IMHO he will be better manager.
We had so many good players over the years and so many of them turned to coaching but not even one cnut turned out to be a great manager. Sucks so bad. Barca had Pep, Enrique and now Xavi that won titles with them. Madrid with Zidane. Juve with Conte. Milan with Ancelotti. Bayern with Hansi flick. Arsenal now with Lego pep fighting for titles. Even fecking Di Matteo won a CL with Chelsea however flukey that was. And we produced Steve bruce, sparky, Ince, Keane, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Giggsy, Solskjaer etc as managers
Did you propose to him?
I've never met him in person, of course, but from interviews and comments about him, it's really clear what a charismatic guy he must be. It's so bad that I'm not even really upset about the "Werkself" construct... Feck that guy!
It went a bit unnoticed but our CEO Fernando Carro actually had to say some things about Alonso's future and Real Madrid in particular a couple of days ago:
Further supports the impression that the surprising extension of Ancelotti until 2026 (and his subsequent withdrawal from the Brazil job) was a reaction to Alonso's own extension with us until 2026 amidst the at the time very concrete rumours of a Madrid move. I would be very surprised if he doesn't replace Ancelotti in 2025 or at the latest in 2026.Fernando Carro said: