Bundesliga super coach reacts to transfer rumors
Still undefeated in the league and progressing confidently in the DFB Cup: Bayer Leverkusen are riding a wave of success. Coach Xabi Alonso is the man behind it. This arouses desire among the competition, the top clubs beckon. He comments on this cautiously.
Bayer Leverkusen's successful coach Xabi Alonso, who is being considered by Real Madrid and FC Bayern, has neither confirmed nor denied an exit clause in his contract with the Werkself, which runs until 2026. "That's part of the contract," said the 42-year-old Spaniard in an interview with Movistar +. "I feel very, very comfortable here at the moment."
It was recently reported that Alonso may not have a clause in his contract, but a gentlemen's agreement with Bayer that allows him to move to an absolute top club. While he could follow Carlo Ancelotti at Real, who is likely to move to Brazil as national team coach, FC Bayern is also said to be keeping a close eye on the coaching career of its ex-professional. The Spanish journalist José Álvarez recently reported on the TV program "El Chiringuito de Jugones" that he had information that Alonso's commitment to the German record champions from next summer had been confirmed.
Alonso's outstanding work in Leverkusen makes him interesting for the heavyweights of international soccer. He took up his first job as a professional coach there in October 2022 and led the team to the top of the Bundesliga table. "There are a lot of young coaches here in Germany and I knew it was the right move," said Alonso, explaining his commitment to the more tranquil Leverkusen. "The first few months were about regaining confidence."
Time during the Africa Cup as a challenge
The biggest challenge at the moment is "to keep the level high. We don't want to get down on ourselves, but we still have a lot of room for improvement. You have to find the balance between ambition and moderation. We have a lot of players who still need experience," explained Alonso. Soccer in Germany is very different to that in Spain or England, said the 2010 World Champion and 2008 and 2012 European Champion. "The fans have a much more direct influence. People are very enthusiastic."
Bayer are not only playing with confidence in the league, but also in the DFB Cup. The fitting 3:1 win against second-division side SC Paderborn saw them through to the quarter-finals - a feat only achieved by VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Mönchengladbach from the Bundesliga. On the other hand, record winners FC Bayern are out, defending champions RB Leipzig are out and runners-up Borussia Dortmund are out.
But Alonso warns: "There are always surprises in the cup." And then the Basque explains why he warns against the second division teams in particular: "I see the quality, they play good soccer. And the cup is a different competition." However, the second division teams are probably the lesser danger for Bayer. The bigger threat is the Africa Cup in January, when five players will be missing for up to a month in goal scorer Victor Boniface, the established defenders Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba as well as Nathan Tella and Amine Adli - and thus perhaps also in the quarter-finals, which are still to be decided.
Then it will also finally become clear how ready Xabi Alonso is as a coach for major problems and challenging tasks. So far, there are few reasons to doubt this.
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Source: www.ntv.de
