DFB Cup
Alonso wants to go on vacation to Spain with trophies in the summer
Xabi Alonso became world champion and twice European champion with the Spanish national team as a player. photo
© Christoph Reichwein/dpa
Xabi Alonso is writing a very special success story across Europe with Bayer Leverkusen. This is also observed in his native Spain.
Bayer Leverkusen’s success is also being closely monitored in the coach’s home country. Before the A Spanish journalist also traveled to the press conference in the Rhineland for the Bundesliga table leaders’ cup semi-final against Fortuna Düsseldorf (8.45 p.m./ZDF and Sky).
Xabi Alonso answered his questions in a good mood in Spanish and then patiently translated them and the answers for the German journalists. When asked what he misses most about Spain at the moment, he answered “family and friends,” the 42-year-old translated: “But it’s the last two months until the summer. When I’m on vacation, I want to come back with a success and something to celebrate.” Which means something like: With a title!
Alonso currently has several options open to him. “But we still have to go the rest of the way,” he said: “In the cup, in the Bundesliga and a little more in the Europa League.” There, Leverkusen are in the quarter-finals against West Ham United, they lead the Bundesliga by 13 points, and in the cup they are the last first division team in the semi-finals. “A lot of people in Spain are following Bayer Leverkusen right now,” said the Basque Alonso: “They want to see us and enjoy our football. And they are happy to see that we can develop a good idea and be successful.”
In addition to Alonso, who became world champion and twice European champion as a player with the Spanish national team and is also considered a long-term coaching candidate at Real Madrid, other Spaniards are part of Bayer’s success story. Club boss Fernando Carro was born in Barcelona, left-back Alejandro Grimaldo made the leap into the Spanish national team via Leverkusen at the age of 28, striker Borja Iglesias came to the Rhineland on loan in the winter, and three Spanish assistants are also on Alonso’s staff.