You can now get married in the Weserstadion.
Saturday wasn’t quite as unique for Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso – and yet he should be able to celebrate his 42nd birthday appropriately. After the 3-0 (2-0) away win in Bremen, around 4,000 supporters who traveled along sang their coach a birthday serenade.
You could hear “joy” about it in a mix of German and English at the press conference, no wonder after the eleventh win in the twelfth league game and regaining the lead in the table. And yet another warning came from one person: Xabi Alonso.
It probably characterizes the charismatic Spaniard quite accurately to warn of an impending setback in such a high phase: “We didn’t play perfectly today either. That’s not possible in football.”
However, the family man, who was born in Tolosa, is leading the Leverkusen team through the season with almost no cuts. The record so far: 18 games, 17 wins, only one draw against FC Bayern Munich.
Hofmann pays homage to Alonso: “We were well hired”
If the Bayer club didn’t have the nickname “Vizekusen”, it would be an almost frightening dominance in the style of the Bavarians, who have almost the same name. The German record champions’ Bundesliga starting record has already been set with 34 points after twelve games, and the series winner is two points away.
But where does this change come from? Jonas Hofmann said in the mixed zone after the game: “We had a clear match plan, were well adjusted and are currently doing it mercilessly.” A homage to Xabi Alonso and his coaching team, who were the first supervisors in the club’s history to celebrate eight league wins in a row .
What the Real icon from Leverkusen did is like a heart-filling football story. The offensive spirit of life is long back. Not only star striker Victor Boniface started the season furiously, left-back Alejandro Grimaldo is also the most dangerous defensive player in the league.
Leverkusen have scored a total of 62 goals across all competitions (more than three on average per game!), and Alonso’s playing system with its playful, attacking orientation speaks volumes.
It is not self-evident that even with such excesses a grumbling Alonso could be seen on the sidelines in the Weser Stadium. But the explanation followed promptly at the press conference: “In moments when I see a mistake, this can happen. We always analyze to improve and not repeat the mistakes.”
This constant perfectionism doesn’t leave out the defense either, of course for a Spaniard who once cleaned up the path behind the tiki-taka offensive machine made up of Andres Iniesta and Xavi in the national team.
Only 14 goals conceded, less than one per game, reflect the solid defensive work Leverkusen does in the statistics. Piero Hincapié and Odilon Kossounou are not the big names playing in central defense. National defender Jonathan Tah was allowed to take it easy on Saturday; Robert Andrich – also a new international – played for him.
Analytical, as always: Xabi Alonso
Bayern, Real Madrid, San Sebastian, Leverkusen
Another plus point for Alonso: Not only do the well-known newcomers carry the team, the Spaniard also gets the most out of the previous team. Did he learn that, where again?
The previous coaching positions have been relatively short; Alonso only ended his playing career at FC Bayern in 2017. This was followed by positions in Real Madrid’s youth team and the second team of San Sebastián, near his hometown.
It was nothing new that Leverkusen used a comparatively big name in 2022 despite not having overwhelming experience: Andrea Pirlo, Xavi and Wayne Rooney also tried it early elsewhere. Few people suspected that Leverkusen would be in such a good position just 13 months after his enthronement.
Even established players like Granit It’s incredibly fun. For me it’s like a dream to be able to play under him.”
It’s probably just a matter of time before even bigger club names become aware of Alonso – including his ex-royals. A place in the coaching chair will probably become available there when Carlo Ancelotti takes over the Brazilian coaching position in the summer.
“He can definitely become coach of Real Madrid in the future,” said Ancelotti himself about Alonso: “He has all the qualities to be a good coach. I like him and I like the way he coaches his team. He’s one of my favorite coaches.”
It would be surprising if Florentino Pérez didn’t come knocking in the Rhineland, despite Alonso’s provisional contract extension until 2026.
But first, the Leverkusen fans can enjoy their coach, who has already made them a serious Bayern competitor and with whom Alonso has “developed a special connection,” for which he is very grateful.
But he wanted to end his birthday on a quieter note: “At home with the family – they haven’t seen me yet today. And of course the best way to celebrate your birthday is with a win.”