Is Alonso the Next Great Manager?

There are a lot of whispers around Xabi Alonso lately. The Spanish Liverpool midfielder keeps coming up in conversations around the future of Liverpool management. Where is Jurgen Klopp going? Nowhere that we know of, but it doesn’t hurt to speculate at how Alonso would do in the Red Devil chair.
Who is Xabi Alonso?
Xabi Alonso is a former Spanish midfield player who started his career in 2000 with the Spanish team Real Sociedad, helping it reach second on the table at the La Liga 2002-2003. He then transferred to Liverpool in 2004 where he won the UEFA Champions League with the club in his first season. He’s since been praised as a Liverpool legend by fans and commentators.
From there he moved on to Real Madrid in 2009 and then Bayern Munich, and finally retired in 2017 having won nearly every trophy in some capacity: World Cup, Euros, Champions League and league titles in Spain and Germany. But the real reason we’re talking about him today is that there appears to be a managerial role at Liverpool on his horizon. It would be some poetic narrative to come full circle and return to the club he started his Premier League career with as a manager.
What’s his managerial style?
Alonso was known as a player for his intelligence, positional discipline, passing range and leadership throughout his career as a player. These are all talents he has taken into managing Real Sociedad B and Bayer Leverkusen; however, his style is still evolving and it will be interesting to watch what challenges he might face at a team as high profile as Liverpool.
In observing his time with Bayer Leverkusen in particular, Alonso has shown to be tactically flexible, adapting playing style to different strategies and managers and experimenting with strategies even at youth level. This approach makes putting a 32 bet on him a hit or miss situation. He also has been known to have a distinct attention to detail, with commentators and fans regularly praising his smart and tactical approaches. He’s known to drill things like positional discipline, off-ball movements and two-way coordination between players.
How likely is it that he could be Liverpool manager?
Well, perhaps more likely than you would think. Looking at Alonso, he’s a young guy at the start of his managerial career. Looking at his experience, Liverpool fans and owners would likely want someone who’s got their hands a little dirtier before taking the role.
And yet there is reportedly a clause in his contract that will allow him to become Liverpool manager as soon as the summer of 2024. Currently contracted at Leverkusen until 2026, apparently there is a clause allowing him to join any of the three European teams he played for during his career as early as next summer. So that means Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all on the table.
Of course, this is all dependent on the idea of the legend that is Jurgen Klopp stepping down as manager before his contract is up in 2026. There aren’t any solid reasons for thinking that he would, but it makes sense why owners – and fans – might want to make a backup plan.
What could bring him down?
The nuisance of graduates everywhere: experience. It’s refreshing to see even managers have trouble with it. Experience is definitely Alonso’s biggest hurdle and he will have to prove himself by gaining success with Bayer Leverkusen. Maybe waiting until his contract is complete with the team would be the better move.
There is also Real Madrid to think about. Alonso has had a lasting relationship with current Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who is mentoring Alonso as the next heir to the Spanish throne. Whether out of loyalty or preference, Real Madrid is a contender for Alonso’s attention.
Conclusion
These are promising signs, but Alonso is still very early in his management career. It’s hard to predict if he will achieve great success with Liverpool. Other legendary players like Maradona and Henry have struggled as managers, so getting the Liverpool position would be a real test of managerial strength. However, if he can pull it off, he will be amongst legendary Liverpool names like Brendan Rodgers, Gerard Houllier, and of course, Jurgen Klopp.