Xabi Alonso has jumped into the deep end by taking charge of struggling Bayer Leverkusen

For anyone who loved seeing Xabi Alonso as a player and believes he will one day coach one of his former clubs – Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Real Sociedad – things have now become interesting.

Five months after leaving Real Sociedad’s B-team, the 40-year-old is in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, which is one of the bottom ends of the Bundesliga.

His new team have lost five and drawn two of their eight league games so far this season, but did beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League last month.

The Spaniard will look to kick off an impressive start to his coaching career

It feels like the right job for a man who seems to be choosing his next career moves with the same deliberate precision he used to select his passes. The option to move to Germany, where he finished his playing career under Pep Guardiola in Munich, has always been a strong one.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was keen to bring him back to Bayern when he was the club’s director general, but others at the club thought he should lead a smaller team elsewhere first.

In March last year, Alonso was close to acquiring Borussia Monchengladbach, but despite talks with them, he later announced a new deal with Real Sociedad, who will remain their B-team coach until 2022. market.

Leverkusen has had a terrible start to the season and is second in the Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen supporters probably won’t be as demanding as many other clubs

So why now, and why Germany? First it is important to understand why not Real Sociedad, where the natural progression seemed to be the youth team coach to the first team manager.

Alonso has recently impressed as a youth trainer at Real Sociedad

Although his youthful B-team had been relegated from Spain’s second tier under his reign, he got them up the ladder last season and was considered a success in the way he brought in individual players.

In some ways, it contributed to his leaving the club. The young players progressed so quickly that they soon performed well for the first team and were no longer available to him as B team boss.

One of those young players was Martin Zubimendi who recently praised Alonso in an interview with Sportsmail.

“I’ve learned to appreciate the different ways other teams push you when you bring the ball out from behind and how you can adjust the way you come out accordingly,” said the young midfielder.

“Xabi put a lot of emphasis on analyzing the opponents, putting mannequins on the field from the training ground in positions where he expected the next rival to try to pressure us.”

Zubimendi describes a meticulous coach, who brings home the details, because in the end they make the difference in top sport. Leverkusen hopes the ability to improve his individual performance will make him a success, as sporting director Simon Rolfes sees it, the young, talented squad is much better than its current position in the league suggests.

Alonso takes charge of his first training session as he addresses his Leverkusen stars

He hopes to get the best out of winger Callum Hudson-Odoi on loan from Chelsea

There is another advantage for Alonso taking over at Leverkusen, where Chelsea mercenary Callum Hudson-Odoi has started three league games this season. The pressure exerted on coaches at other Bundesliga clubs is not felt in BayArena.

The expectations are not at the level of Bayern or Dortmund. And the intensity created by a huge fan base hungry for success, as is the case in Cologne or Borussia Mönchengladbach, is also toned down.

He will be given time – his contract runs until 2024 – and there will be money to spend if needed. The wealth of the German pharmaceutical multinational Bayer underlies the club.

Alonso is a fan favorite at Liverpool and The Reds will follow his career with interest

Alonso talks to Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish after recent clash between legends at Anfield

The language will not be a problem as he learned to live in German as a player in Munich and has continued to practice ever since.

And the bar has been set low in terms of the start to the season suffered by his predecessor Gerardo Seoane.

How they play will be as interesting to watch as where he takes them. Alonso was as much appreciated by Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez as he was by Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, so he will draw on styles of play that contrast sharply. At Real Sociedad, like all B team coaches, his primary job was to nurture the first team and therefore play the same way. Now he has a blank canvas.

Alonso’s managerial influences include current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, both pictured celebrating the German league title while at Bayern Munich.

Former clubs Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will also watch Alonso with interest

Their best result so far this season – that 2-0 win over Atletico – was more smash and grab than dominate, but he will also have to judge defeats, and the only other win to date, at Mainz in September with Jeremie Frimpong. who scored twice.

He will inherit the problems that made Seoane’s life difficult – Florian Wirtz is out with a cruciate ligament tear and the midfielder who scored 10 goals last season will be missed. He’ll be back at the turn of the year – that and finding a defensive midfielder will help him change the team’s fortunes.

One thing can be guaranteed: Bayer Leverkusen’s results and achievements are now on everyone’s checklist. And even more so at Liverpool, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, where it looks like there’s a job up for grabs in the future if he develops as expected.