Earlier this month, Xabi Alonso announced that he would not be leaving Bayer Leverkusen this summer, despite strong interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich in acquiring his services. The Basque coach is one of the most in-demand coaches across the world, having worked wonders at the soon-to-be Bundesliga champions.
Alonso’s announcement has opened the door to a possible move to Real Madrid, which could come as early as 2025. During the first half of the season, the 42-year-old has been tipped to replace Carlo Ancelotti this summer, before the Italian signed a two-year contract extension in December.
For Ze Roberto, who played for both Real Madrid and Leverkusen during his playing career, it is somewhat inevitable that Alonso will take charge of Los Blancos, as per Diario AS.
“He’s destined to do so. His way of thinking about football and the way his teams play make him the type of coach that every president wants for his club. Xabi is young, approachable and has a modern philosophy. He’s the coach of the future.”
Roberto was surprised at Alonso’s decision to stay on at Leverkusen next season, although he does expect him to move on soon.
“Yes (I was surprised), especially because of the amount of great teams that wanted him. There was talk of Bayern, Liverpool and even Real Madrid. Honestly, I think that everything happening is surprising, even for Xabi himself. He is making history and knows both players and managers are behind him, something that will have been key when it comes to staying at Leverkusen. However, I am convinced that he will soon want to take the next step in his career in the dugout.”
