Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthaeus said on Wednesday that a move to Liverpool in the summer would not be the best decision for the sought-after Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.
Alonso has been linked with transfers to Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, clubs where he previously played. He has been exceptionally successful at leading Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen.
Alonso has steered the unbeaten team to a 10-point lead over Bayern Munich and is on course to secure their first-ever German title with eight games remaining this season.
During an interview with AFP and other media on Wednesday, Matthaeus stated that it would be challenging for any coach to follow outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp, and recommended that Alonso, who is in demand, should remain with Leverkusen.
“Liverpool is not the best option for Xabi Alonso after this season. He has better options.”
Matthaeus, who spent most of his career at Bayern, expressed his willingness to welcome Alonso as the successor to departing coach Thomas Tuchel in the summer. However, he acknowledged that in Munich, “(Alonso) would have to build a new team for the future, with new players”.
Leverkusen have achieved 34 wins and four draws in 38 games this season. With the club in the final four of the German Cup and the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Alonso has Leverkusen on track for a treble.
“Why move to Liverpool? Why should he leave this fantastic team that brings us joy with their beautiful football, like Barcelona 12 years ago?”
Klopp surprised the football world in January by announcing that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years with the Reds, citing exhaustion.
Matthaeus remarked that Klopp’s success at Liverpool made him a tough act to follow.
“Following Jurgen Klopp as a coach at Liverpool is not easy because Jurgen is a hero, he’s fantastic. What he was doing is great, and what could you do that was much better?”
The 1990 World Cup-winning captain praised current Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and stated that the team was “on the right path” after regaining form with victories over France and the Netherlands in the past week.
However, Matthaeus did mention, “In Germany, our dream and wish was that Jurgen Klopp would be the next national coach.”
AFP
