Xabi Alonso staying at Bayer Leverkusen is great for football

Former Liverpool midfielder has agreed to stay with Bundesliga club for at least one more season

Xabi Alonso announced his intentions to remain at the helm of Bayer Leverkusen last week. The announcement hit three teams very hard and disrupted their potential future plans.

For one, it gave Leverkusen insight into their next 12 to 18 months. Alonso can still do so much for the German club famously nicknamed ‘Neverkusen’ due to their previous failures of winning the Bundesliga. Could this be the beginnings of a dynasty under the ex-Real Madrid midfielder?

The announcement also hit Liverpool, whose supporters — at least a large section — wanted the Spaniard to take over at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp in the offseason. Bayer’s Bundesliga rival, Bayern Munich, were also interested in Alonso becoming their next head coach. Typically, the Bavarians get their way, but will now have to look elsewhere for a new coach to bring them back to the top of the Bundesliga.

Alonso’s decision to stay with Bayer Leverkusen is great for football. Die Werkself are 13 points clear of Bayern Munich after the weekend’s results. Leverkusen came from a goal down, scoring twice in the final two minutes against Hoffenheim to win.

There is an aura about Leverkusen this season. Even when trailing late in games, there is a belief that they will score and get a result. I’ve even felt that way when watching them play. Dare I say, it feels very much like Liverpool or Manchester City.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel conceded the league title to Alonso’s Leverkusen on Saturday. Bayern Munich’s consecutive Bundesliga title streak will come to an end this season. Tuchel and company failed to turn 11 straight titles into 12.

Leverkusen aren’t just the winners on the pitch, as they head for their first-ever Bundesliga title — Die Werkself could win a domestic double and are also still in the Europa League. The German club are winners of the pitch. Having Alonso as coach for another season could see Leverkusen challenge for the Bundesliga title once more, while playing in the Champions League.

The Spaniard’s decision to remain at the helm of the first-team will make Leverkusen more appealing for potential signings in the offseason. There is no doubt the free transfer signing of former Benfica player Alex Grimaldo was one of the best pieces of business by any club last summer. But Leverkusen got their other transfer signings right. Granit Xhaka has found new life in the middle of the pitch and Victor Boniface, when fit, has been unplayable.

Yes, Bayer Leverkusen backed Alonso in the transfer market last summer. But much of the money used for new signings came from the fee Aston Villa paid for Moussa Diaby. The €55 million paid by Villa along with a €10 million transfer of Mitchel Bakker allowed Bayer to spend money and add players capable of playing Alonso’s way.

While Bayer Leverkusen are a ‘big team’, they are not at the level of Bayern Munich or Liverpool. Oftentimes, club in Leverkusen’s situation are resigned to losing their manager after a strong season. It is typically a case of “if you can’t beat them, sign them”. But Alonso’s actions show a coach recognising a good thing. Leverkusen are on the up. The politics are not like they are at Bayern Munich and the expectations aren’t the same as at Liverpool. Moreover, it could be a losing situation taking over from a manager like Klopp.

Alonso has shown himself to be a different type of coach and manager. He isn’t ready to jump straight into things like many of his contemporaries. He broke in with Real Sociedad B. After having success there, he turned down Borussia Monchengladbach when offered their head coaching role a few seasons ago to remain with Real Sociedad B. It was a choice based on becoming the best manager possible before accepting a bigger role elsewhere.

In his first full season of top-flight coaching, Alonso is on the verge of ending Bayern Munich’s consecutive title streak and bringing a first-ever Bundesliga championship to Leverkusen. Despite the distance between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table, this feat should not be underestimated.

The club could also win just a second-ever DFB Pokal. Then, there is the Europa League, where Alonso could meet Klopp and company in the final.

It is a great time to be a Leverkusen supporter. It is also a great thing for football to see Alonso spurn the offers of the bigger clubs to continue to hone his craft with an up and coming team.