Xabi Alonso speaks out on why he chose Bayer Leverkusen stay over Liverpool
Xabi Alonso finished a stunning Bayer Leverkusen season in style by winning the DFB-Pokal (Picture: Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso says it was a focus on what he is achieving at Bayer Leverkusen that saw him commit his future to the club rather than pursue opportunities elsewhere.
The Spaniard has done an incredible job with the German club, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double this season and reaching the final of the Europa League.
It is the first Bundesliga title in the club’s history and only the second DFB-Pokal, with the defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League showpiece the team’s solitary loss all season.
Unsurprisingly Alonso has become a wanted man and two clubs he played for came calling, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich looking for a new manager.
It seemed very unlikely that the 42-year-old would turn down the chance to manage in either Merseyside or Bavaria, but that’s exactly what he did, opting to stay with Leverkusen and continue the brilliant start he has made to management there.
Asked if he considered the chance to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, Alonso told CNN: ‘All these decisions, they need to be thorough. You need to really think about them. And it was more about what I had, not what I’m missing.
‘For sure, my bond with Liverpool is there and it’s still there. So there’s no, any kind of issue with that.’
The Leverkusen boss was pushed on whether he had held talks with Liverpool, but kept his cards close to his chest, saying: ‘That’s kind of behind the curtains.’
Arne Slot is taking over from Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer (Picture: Getty Images)
The managerial merry-go-round was as difficult to predict as ever this year as Arne Slot was hired by Liverpool to replace Klopp and Vincent Kompany was pinched from relegated Burnley to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
Concerningly for Kompany as he makes the enormous leap from Turf Moor to the Allianz Arena, Alonso reckons he will improve as a coach after the defeat to Atalanta which cost them the treble.
‘I’m pretty sure I have the intuition that that game will make me a better coach, better manager than if we would have won the treble,’ he said.
‘For sure, those games you don’t forget, and you can use that for the future.
‘At the moment, it hurts. It hurts so much, but I have that feeling that it will be more useful for my development than winning the treble.’
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