analysis
Xabi Alonso stays in Leverkusen. With his style he has changed players and the club – and he sees himself as only at the beginning.
This video is currently circulating on social media: Leverkusen’s left-back Alejandro Grimaldo shoots a free kick towards the goal from the right and misses clearly. Then Bayer 04 coach Xabi Alonso speaks to him for a few seconds. Grimaldo puts another ball down and turns it perfectly into the top corner.
It’s that easy. Alonso speaks. The player gets better. The “improver” at work. The Spaniard could have left it like that. But when he was asked about it at the press conference before the Bundesliga game against 1899 Hoffenheim (03/30/24, from 3:30 p.m. in the Sportschau Livecenter), in which he announced his stay in Leverkusen for the 2024/25 season, Alonso immediately dismissed it with a smile : “No, no. We just talked like that. I can’t teach him anything. He’s great, great.”
communication and Attention to detail as strengths
The scene and the explanation tell a lot about what makes Alonso special as a coach. He communicates a lot, preferably individually, “face to face”, as he says himself. In and after every training session, Alonso can be seen talking to players. Little things in technique, details in tactical behavior, things for the head – everyone gets something along the way. Everyone gets attention, the feeling of being important and needed.
For example, the coach ensures that the “second” goalkeeper Matej Kovar plays in the cup competitions, no matter how important the game or how big the opponent is. This creates trust and the players pay it back. Central defender Jonathan Tah is playing more stable than he has in years and is now in the starting eleven for the German national team. Odilon Kossounou, who was previously flighty both defensively and offensively, has become more concentrated and, especially in the forward game, significantly stronger.
Team spirit is above all else
Even an internationally experienced player like Granit Xhaka says that he received new inspiration from Alonso when it came to passing or tactical behavior under opposition pressure. The examples could be continued across numerous players. There is also no doubt that he has raised the team tactically to a much higher level. Leverkusen always has solutions and never loses calm or control. Just like the coach.
The coach doesn’t want any laurels for this. And that is another strength. When the fans called the coach towards the fan block after Leverkusen’s dramatic victory in the DFB Cup against VfB Stuttgart, Alonso first went back to the bench and brought in the entire coaching team. We then celebrated together in front of the curve.
Alonso is aiming for “another level”.
With this authentic style and of course his footballing expertise from 17 years as a successful top player in world football with a wealth of titles, Alonso has turned a black and red mouse into a “title elephant” with huge chances of winning trophies in three competitions in less than a year and a half . And ultimately it still gave the coach the feeling that that wasn’t all. In his first coaching position in professional football, the 42-year-old wants to continue to grow.
“I feel like my job here isn’t over yet,” said Alonso after announcing his stay beyond the current season. When asked where this would lead given the current strong season, Alonso replied: “That we can take the club to another level.” Given a season with currently 38 unbeaten competitive games, it’s hard to imagine him shortly before the first German championship or even the double – but he can certainly be trusted.