Xavi Alonso, who leads Bayer Leverkusen, preferred the Bayern Munich head coach position to replace Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool.

Sky Sports Germany reported on the 4th that “Bavier Alonso, Bayern Munich’s most preferred replacement for Thomas Tuchel this summer, recently had his first discussion with Munich with a positive signal.”

Alonso, the 2010 World Cup champion in South Africa and one of Spain’s legendary midfielders, became a leader after retiring from active duty and began his second life by coaching Real Youth in 2018. From 2019 to June last year, he gained experience by serving as Real Sociedad B’s coach.

Alonso, who has shown his potential as a leader, took over as Leverkusen coach in October 2022 and took over as the first division head coach of his life. Under Alonso’s leadership last season, Leverkusen reached the semifinals of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League. In the semifinals, Alonso met AS Roma, led by his former teacher Jose Mourinho, and lost the first and second matches with a combined score of 0-1.

After the 2023-24 season began, Alonso created a sensation in the Bundesliga and became the favorite. He recently won a complete game 3-0 against Munich, and is leading the league with no loss in 24 league games (20 wins and four draws).

There is currently a 10 point gap between Leverkusen (64 points) and Munich (54 points), who are in second place, with 10 games left until the end of the season. As time went by, Leverkusen, who has not yet won the first division in the club’s history, was expected to lift the Bundesliga trophy for the first time since its foundation.

Manager Alonso, who has achieved remarkable results this season, is being courted by big clubs as he has become a world leader. In particular, both Munich and Liverpool, the world’s best clubs, are competing to bring Alonso as their next head coach.

Munich signed a contract with Tuchel in March last year until June 2025, but recently agreed to end the contract early due to poor performance and discord with the team. Tuchel will lead the team only until the 2023-24 season and leave Munich.

Liverpool also signed a contract with world-class coach Klopp until 2026, but as Klopp wanted to rest, he decided to say goodbye to Klopp, who has been with him since 2015 after this season.

Both teams, which have to appoint a new coach at the end of the season, are known to want Alonso. Both teams are interested in which club Alonso will take the helm as they played in his active days, and Alonso’s claim that he prefers Munich to Liverpool drew attention.

In response, Sky Sports Germany explained, “Alonso is currently leaning toward Bayern Munich,” adding, “He has not made a final decision yet, but he can move in the summer.”

“Leverkusen will receive 15-25 million euros (about 217-36.1 billion won) in compensation for Alonso, depending on how many titles he will win this season,” he added. Currently, Leverkusen has advanced to the semifinals of the German Football Confederation (DFB)-Pokal Cup, and the UEFA Europa League is also competing for the title by advancing to the round of 16.

Munich is cautiously optimistic that it will be able to lead Alonso to the club next summer, he said. “They have information that if Alonso wants to change, he will go to Munich, not Liverpool.” 스포츠토토

As evidence that Alonso will head to Munich, Florian Flettenberg, a reporter familiar with the Munich news, said, “Alonso said Liverpool and Klopp’s legacy is difficult. There can be more to lose than to gain.”

Klopp has led Liverpool and has been reborn as the club’s best leader by collecting trophies in all kinds of competitions. He won the Carabao Cup this season as well and is leading the Premier League. This means that Alonso prefers Munich, which is relatively less burdensome, as Klopp’s successor will be under enormous pressure.

However, it is too early to confirm Alonso’s next destination as the season is not over yet. Attention is expected to be drawn to whether Alonso, who is drawing attention from soccer fans around the world, will reject Liverpool as Munich wishes and replace Tuchel.