Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, is close to breaking Pep Guardiola's record after surpassing Jürgen Klopp. His team, Bayer Leverkusen, has kept its unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga season, with Guardiola's 28-match record now within reach.
Alonso, 42, has received lots of praise since he started his first senior job in Germany at Leverkusen in 2022. He's even been suggested as a future manager for the Reds.
Leverkusen's most recent victory was a thrilling late comeback against RB Leipzig, who had taken the lead twice against Alonso's team. However, a last-minute goal from Piero Hincapié — a potentially ideal option for the Liverpool defense — secured a 3-2 win for the Bundesliga leaders.
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This means that Alonso has led Leverkusen to 15 victories in its 18 matches this season, without a single defeat in the league. That's something Klopp never achieved during his time in Germany.
Klopp, the former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund manager, couldn't manage an unbeaten start of 18 matches in the league before moving to Liverpool. Guardiola did reach 28 matches with Bayern Munich, which will be tough to beat.
But even if Alonso doesn't manage to break Guardiola's best start to a season in Germany, he's already proven his coaching skills at a top level. After all, maintaining such a run at Bayer Leverkusen as opposed to the perennial Bundesliga champion is even more impressive, not least in a first senior coaching job.
Former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka, who's been a key player in Alonso's team since he joined, praised the ex-Liverpool star earlier this year. The Swiss player told reporters: "Xabi was an unbelievable midfielder. He won everything except the Europa League — because he never played Europa League. But he's an example of a new generation of coaching I think. He's not only in the meetings and (in front of) the tactical board, but he's showing himself."
"Passing for example. His passing is going on social media and of course it's a different feeling when you are his player because you see what he means. To have someone like this, with this experience, with this personality, gives you a lot of confidence and do much more than you did before."
Leverkusen is now over halfway through the Bundesliga season and currently leads Bayern Munich by seven points. The reigning champion do, however, have two games in hand on Alonso's side.
Liverpool.com says: The calls for Alonso to one day take over from Klopp are getting more and more obvious. The Spaniard has already shown an affinity with returning to his previous teams, having coached youth sides at Real Madrid before returning to his roots with the Real Sociedad B team.
The one sticking point, if it could really be called that, is that Liverpool will be hoping Klopp stays for many more years. He's certainly not leaving Anfield just yet. And with the way Alonso is going, closing in on the Guardiola record, it's hard to see him remaining outside the clutches of one of the other European giants for long — perhaps Real Madrid, though the renewal for Carlo Ancelotti there could change the picture, or another former club in Bayern Munich.
Regardless, it's great to see a former Liverpool man do such an impressive job. Only time will tell if a reunion is ultimately on the cards.
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