BERLIN – When Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso takes on Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, he will face not only his former mentor, but also the man who predicted his future coaching success.
Spaniard Alonso played 151 games under Mourinho at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning several titles before the latter returned to Chelsea.
Asked in 2019 which of his former players could make a successful transition to coaching, Mourinho gave a clear answer.
“I would say Xabi Alonso. He grew up with a father who was a player and a manager,” he said.
“Then he became a top player, his position on the pitch and his knowledge of the game was very high. He was coached by (Pep) Guardiola at Bayern (Munich), by myself at Real Madrid, by (Carlo) Ancelotti at Real Madrid, by (Rafael) Benitez at Liverpool.
“If you put all of this together, Xabi has the conditions to be a very good coach.”
Despite Mourinho’s predictions coming true, it is unlikely he forecast such a crucial meeting with his former protege would come around so soon.
After retiring in 2017, Alonso took over as a youth coach at Real, before moving back to his home town to manage the Real Sociedad reserves.
Since his appointment as Leverkusen coach in October, he has lifted the side out of relegation and into sixth. In this time, only Bayern Munich (50) and Borussia Dortmund (49) have managed to pick up more points than the 43 Leverkusen have.
In Europe, Leverkusen’s elimination from the Champions League meant a shot at Europa League glory instead, with Alonso piloting the team past AS Monaco, Ferencvaros and Union Saint-Gilloise.
Thursday’s game is their biggest match on the European stage since the 2002 Champions League final defeat by a Zinedine Zidane-inspired Real side.
Leverkusen have all to play for – their sparse trophy cabinet boasts only the 1987-88 Uefa Cup and 1992-93 German Cup – and they have a good chance of winning silverware this season.
Unlike Mourinho’s stuttering Roma, who have dropped from fourth to seventh and are now five points outside the Champions League spots, Alonso has his team firing.
The German side went 14 games unbeaten before a surprise 2-1 home loss to derby rivals Cologne last Friday.
After the defeat, 41-year-old Alonso said his side would “prepare better” for the crucial match in Rome on Thursday, with Leverkusen unbeaten in their last nine away fixtures in all competitions.
“To be in the semi-finals in Europe has not happened often in the club’s history. We want to make it as good as possible,” he added.
“We are focused and are looking forward to preparing well. The energy is good. Being in the semi-finals is great but, once you get there, you want more. We will do everything to win.”
The other last-four clash on Thursday will see Italian giants Juventus host record six-time winners Sevilla of Spain. AFP
