Xabi Alonso has made a significant impression during his relatively short time as a head coach.
As a player, the Spaniard was recognised as one of the finest midfielders in the world. He won multiple trophies with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, including the Champions League twice, after first impressing at Real Sociedad, where he developed in their youth team.
In international football, Alonso was part of the 'golden generation' that led Spain to consecutive European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. He won 114 senior caps in total, putting him eighth in the all-time list for the men's national team.
As a coach, Alonso has made great strides with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, where he took charge in October 2022 and has now delivered their very first Bundesliga title.
His work in Germany immediately led to speculation that he will become the next permanent manager of Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp having announced he will step down at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Alonso has also been linked with the Real Madrid job and is a prime candidate to succeed Carlo Ancelotti when the Italian eventually leaves the Santiago Bernabeu.
There were also suggestions that he could be in the frame for the Bayern Munich job after it was announced on February 21st that Thomas Tuchel will be relieved of his duties with the German giants at the end of the season. However, Alonso has since confirmed he would be staying with Leverkusen for another season.
The Sporting News looks at Xabi Alonso's managerial record so far in his short career, and whether he could have what it takes to manage at one of the world's greatest clubs.
MORE: Why is Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool?
Xabi Alonso manager record, teams coached
Alonso has not been in management for long, starting his journey into coaching in 2018 as a youth coach for Real Madrid.
After a season in Madrid, he moved to manage Real Sociedad B, where he also played during his football career. He spent three seasons crafting his management style there before looking for a professional job in June 2022.
Leverkusen needed a new manager after a dreadful start to the season, and Alonso stepped in to help Die Werkself. He got off to a good start with a 4-0 win over Schalke, and he went on to lead Leverkusen to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga in 2022/23, qualifying for the Europa League in the process.
Last season, Leverkusen reached the Europa League semifinals, losing narrowly over two legs to Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, Alonso's former Real Madrid coach. There was reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023 before Alonso signed a new contract with Leverkusen that runs until 2026.
It has proven to be a huge benefit to the German club: they became Bundesliga champions for the very first time on April 14, 2024, with five games of the top-flight season left to play. They could yet end the season with a treble, too, as they are in the DFB-Pokal final and look poised to reach the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League.
| Team | Years | Wins | Draws | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid (youth) | 2018-2019 | - | - | - |
| Real Sociedad B | 2019-2022 | 40 | 23 | 35 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2022-present | 55 | 15 | 10 |
Trophies won: Bundesliga 2023/24
Xabi Alonso Leverkusen contract, record
Leverkusen appointed Alonso on October 5, 2022 and gave him a deal which expired on June 30, 2024. This would give the board enough time to see whether or not he was the right person for the job.
It has now been reported that Alonso has a release clause in 2025, which could play into the hands of securing a move to Real Madrid to replace Ancelotti.
When Alonso took the role, the club were in the relegation zone after winning once in their opening eight league matches. Leverkusen ended the season in sixth place, qualifying for Europe. That was enough to see Alonso rewarded with a new contract that runs until 2026.
Although Alonso failed to win any of Leverkusen's three Champions League group-stage matches, he led his team to the last four of the 2022/23 Europa League, where they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Roma.
In 2023/24, they are on track to win a possible treble of Bundesliga, Europa League, and DFB-Pokal titles.
Will Xabi Alonso be the next Bayern Munich or Liverpool manager?
It's no surprise that his record so far has seen Alonso billed as one of the most eligible potential coaching appointments. And with Bayern and Liverpool — two of his former clubs — both looking for a new manager, a potential tug-of-war was thought to be brewing.
Jurgen Klopp stunned the football world on January 26 when he confirmed he would be stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of 2023/24.
The German delivered significant success to Anfield since taking charge back in October 2015, and succeeding him represents a seriously difficult task.
Alonso's connection to the Reds after his successful spell as a player at Anfield would likely make him a popular choice and his record as Leverkusen's head coach would make it a shrewd one.
It then looked like the Reds were going to face a challenge from Bayern, after it was announced that Tuchel would be parting company with the German giants at the end of the season on February 21.
With Alonso the leading candidate for both roles, it appears as though he wanted to clear the air. The Times reported on March 29 that the Spaniard was due to stay in Germany, forcing Liverpool and Bayern to look elsewhere.
Romano then shared the detail of his release clause in his contract, leading to rumours he may wait it out to takeover at Madrid in 2025.
Will Xabi Alonso be the next Real Madrid manager?
On September 25, it was reported by Radio Marca in Spain that Alonso had been chosen as top target to succeed Ancelotti in 2024. Given his connection to the club as a former player and his commitment to a positive style of football, it is an appointment that would likely generate some excitement, even if the 42-year-old remains relatively inexperienced as an elite-level manager.
However, Ancelotti sprung a surprise on December 29, 2023 when it was announced he had signed a contract extension with Madrid until June 2026, ending any suggestion Alonso could take over imminently.
Xabi Alonso Liverpool career
Alonso spent some time in England during his playing days, occupying the playmaking role for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009.
The Reds bought the midfielder for £16 million from Real Sociedad to play alongside Steven Gerrard. Rafael Benitez was the manager at the time and Liverpool were strong enough to fight for every trophy.
Alonso won four titles in his time at Liverpool, including the Champions League in his debut season on Merseyside.
| Seasons | Appearances | Premier League appearances | Goals | Trophies | Trophies won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 210 | 143 | 19 | 4 |
Champions League 2004/05, UEFA Super Cup 2005, FA Cup 2005/06, Community Shield 2006 |
Xabi Alonso Bayern Munich career
| Seasons | Appearances | Bundesliga appearances | Goals | Trophies | Trophies won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 117 | 79 | 9 | 6 |
Bundesliga (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17) |