German coach Xabi Alonso said he was successful at Leverkusen this season thanks to learning a lot from his former teacher Carlo Ancelotti, one of which was valuing the role of the players.
"In terms of man management, Ancelotti is a master," Alonso said of his former coach on AS on November 24. "In terms of convincing players or how to make players have a good relationship with you, Ancelotti is the best."
Alonso also said one of the things he learned from Ancelotti was that the coach is not the most important person. "The players are more important than you," the Leverkusen tactician added. "I am not rigid with the players, I do not ask them to play in only one way. They should not be robots, but should have their own creativity on the pitch. If they make a wrong decision, the whole team will correct and improve."
Alonso (right) was a student of Ancelotti at Real and Bayern. Photo: El Chiringuito
Before becoming a coach, Alonso played under many famous strategists such as Vicente del Bosque, Luis Aragones, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho. After 5 years with Liverpool, the former Spanish midfielder moved to Real in 2014. Alonso shared that one of the things he regrets when he was a player is not having the opportunity to play under the guidance of coach Jurgen Klopp - the person who raised Liverpool to the level.
Under Alonso, Leverkusen remain unbeaten in the 2023-2024 season. In the Bundesliga, the BayArena team has 31 points and leads after round 11, with 10 wins and 1 draw, and a goal difference of +24. In the Europa League, Leverkusen won all four group stage matches.
Alonso is said to be capable of replacing Ancelotti as Real coach, when the Italian strategist's contract with the Royal team expires at the end of the season. Coach Ancelotti confirmed that he will not resign, but also hopes that former midfielder Xabi Alonso will return to lead Real in the near future.
Alonso has also recently been linked with a potential replacement for Thomas Tuchel should Bayern fail to do so this season, according to El Chiringuito. Bayern beat Cologne 1-0 in the early game of round 12, taking Leverkusen to the top of the table by one point.
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