Alonso, now the coach of Bayer Leverkusen, has had an illustrious playing career under some of the greatest managers in the game. He has learned from the likes of Rafa Benitez, Pep Guardiola, Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti, amongst others.
Jose Mourinho and Xabi Alonso
The first leg of the Europa League semi-final between Roma and Bayer Leverkusen is set to feature a highly anticipated clash between two footballing minds – Jose Mourinho and Xabi Alonso. Alonso, now the coach of Bayer Leverkusen, has had an illustrious playing career under some of the greatest managers in the game. He has learned from the likes of Rafa Benitez, Pep Guardiola, Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti, amongst others. He attributes his success as a coach to the different perspectives and approaches he has learned from each of them. From Benitez, he learned about football tactics and how to fit into a team, while Guardiola’s style of play and ability to communicate a clear vision left a lasting impression on him.
Mourinho’s strength and intelligence in communicating with his players were some of his standout qualities, while Ancelotti’s focus on playing good football and transmitting his ideas effectively were also instrumental in shaping Alonso’s coaching philosophy.
Xabi admires Mourinho’s strong values and his willingness to fight for his players
Alonso’s playing career spanned across different leagues, including La Liga, the Premier League, and the Bundesliga. This experience has helped him develop into a chameleon-like coach who can quickly adapt to different styles of play and situations. He played under Mourinho for three seasons at Real Madrid, where he won three titles. Alonso holds Mourinho in high regard, citing his ability to read matches and react accordingly as some of his standout qualities. He also admires Mourinho’s strong values and his willingness to fight for his players. Mourinho, on the other hand, predicted Alonso’s potential as a coach as far back as 2010 when he said that the midfielder had the qualities of a “metronome” and would be a great coach when he hung up his boots.
Now, as coaches, they will face off against each other in the Europa League semi-finals. With a place in the final at stake, it remains to be seen who will come out on top – the pupil or the master.
Alonso’s journey as a player and a coach highlights the importance of learning from different perspectives and experiences. His ability to adapt to different situations and styles of play has been instrumental in his success so far, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against his former mentor, Mourinho.