Tottenham Hotspur has identified former Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso for next season as they seek a permanent manager following Antonio Conte’s departure from the club.
The 2010 World Cup winner took over as manager of Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022. He has led Leverkusen from the brink of relegation to sixth place in the Bundesliga and the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League this season.
https://twitter.com/TheSpursWatch/status/1653795110142787585
Alonso’s performances this season with Leverkusen have drawn attention from the North Londoners, who recently sacked Antonio Conte following poor performances at the club.
It’s not just Xabi Alonso, though. The Spurs are equally impressed with Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, who, after Burnley got relegated from the Premier League, took charge of the club and has done an outstanding job so far. Burnley are sitting at the top of the EFL table and are set to make a return to the Premier League next season.
Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann is also under the radar and is also being pursued by Chelsea.
Xabi Alonso had a decorated career as a player
Xabi Alonso was an outstanding holding midfielder in his prime. He started his professional career with Real Sociedad in 1999. In 2004, Alonso joined Liverpool, where he became a fan favorite and helped the club win the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.
Remember when Benitez rested Xabi Alonso vs Fulham and we were 2-0 down at HT?
Xabi came on, and the rest is history 🙌#LFC
pic.twitter.com/7JI618vw9e— LFC Mumble (@lfcmumble) May 2, 2023
In 2009, he transferred to Real Madrid and won the La Liga title in his second season with the club. Alonso then moved to Bayern Munich in 2014, where he won three consecutive Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal in 2016.
#OnThisDay in 2⃣0⃣1⃣6⃣
🤩😎@XabiAlonso ⚽️🎯💪#UCL | @FCBayern | @FCBayernEN | @FCBayernUS | @FCBayernES pic.twitter.com/H9WnDGJmGi
— UEFA.com DE (@UEFAcom_de) May 3, 2023
Xabi’s international career was just as successful. He played a pivotal role in Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup victory, which marked the country’s first championship in the tournament’s history. Alonso was also instrumental in Spain’s 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championship victories.
Xabi Alonso and his Leverkusen side will be facing former Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho’s Roma, who is also his former boss, in the semifinals of the Europa League. We can’t wait to see if Xabi manages to triumph over his former coach as a manager.
