Since arriving on the Bayer bench, the Tolosa native has brought a radical twist to the situation of a team that has gone from relegation to four straight victories.
The quality of Xabi Alonso on the pitch was, is and will be known. The man from Tolosa, through his great vision and his millimeter changes in orientation, was the compass of the best Spanish team of all time and of teams that are in the retina of fans such as Benítez’s Liverpool, Mourinho’s Madrid or Guardiola’s Bayern. His leadership and tactical intelligence on the green, extensive experience and the influence of being coached by the best predicted a great future on the bench and, despite his short-lived coaching career, he is already showing it. After his time at the Real Sociedad subsidiary, where he was promoted to the Second Division, Xabi Alonso, in his first great adventure as a coach, has transformed the exhausted Bayer Leverkusen into one of the clubs of the moment in Germany.
The Gipuzkoan arrived at the German club in a very delicate situation. The Bay Arena team were penultimate, with just one win in eight rounds, ten points behind the Champions League and, to make matters worse, eliminated in the first round of the German Cup by third division side Elversberg. The victory on their debut against Schalke 04 (4-0) was marred by defeats against Eintracht (5-1) and RB Leipzig (2-0), and the draw against Wolfsburg (2-2).
In Europe, the tables with Atlético (2-2) and Bruges (0-0) prevented them from qualifying for the Champions League round of 16, but they secured participation in the Europa League by finishing third in the group and the European matches to all of Cholo Simeone.
Despite the irregular start, the player from Tolosa turned around the poor dynamics. The ‘little hand’ of Union Berlin (5-0), then leader of the league, was a turning point that restored confidence in the side to beat Cologne (1-2) and Stuttgart (2-0). Even the interruption due to the World Cup in Qatar has not stopped the Xabi effect since last Sunday, the aspirin team again defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-3) in Borussia Park, one of the most difficult venues in the Bundesliga .
Bayer has secured four straight victories and has the chance to continue its climb to European positions with the good news of the return of Florian Wirtz, the team’s main banner and one of the brightest talents in European football. It’s all good news in Leverkusen. And Xabi Alonso is the big culprit of that.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
