Jurgen Klopp gives seal of approval to ‘stand-out’ replacement as Liverpool boss after shock quit announcement
JURGEN KLOPP has given his seal of approval to “incredible” Xabi Alonso to replace him at Liverpool.
The German will be stepping down at Anfield at the end of the season after nine years in charge.
ReutersJurgen Klopp has hailed Xabi Alonso[/caption]
GettyThe German said that Alonso is the ‘stand-out’ among his rivals[/caption]
Klopp’s last few months in charge of Liverpool will be captured in a behind-the-scenes documentary.
However, many are keen to discover who will be replacing him in the dugout for next season.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso has been touted as one of the top options for the club.
The Spaniard has been working wonders at Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen since his appointment in 2022.
Alonso has the club at the top of the league and as the favourites to put a stop to Bayern Munich‘s 11-year reign as champions.
Klopp, 56, has suggested that Alonso is part of the “new generation” of football managers and is the “stand-out” among his peers.
He said: “Xabi is doing an incredible job.
“If there were not the rumours around, that’s completely independent, if you had asked me eight weeks ago about Xabi Alonso, I would have gone ‘Oh my God’.
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“The dinosaurs if you want, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Guardiola, maybe me, we will not do it – Ok maybe Mourinho.
“But all the rest of us will not do it for the next 20 years.
“The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is the stand-out in that department.”
Alonso has reportedly set himself a “secret” plan that relied on succeeding at Bayer Leverkusen.
The manager believes that he could now make a step up to manage the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
His current deal at the BayArena runs until 2025.
Alonso’s impact at Bayer Leverkusen
XABI ALONSO was appointed as Bayer Leverkusen manager when the club was struggling in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season
He came in having only coached the Real Sociedad B team as a manager’s mark on his CV.
This did not slow down the former Liverpool star as he rectified the German outfit’s season as they sat in 17th place.
He won his first game in charge over Schalke 4-0 but then went on a six-game winless run while he implemented his ideas.
Alonso then took the club on a run which saw 15 wins from their next 20 games.
The manager helped the club to a 6th place finish last season and they have continued on that trajectory this campaign.
Bayer Leverkusen have been challenging for the Bundesliga title this season.
Alonso has led the club to an unbeaten start to the season after 21 league games.
This run includes a 3-0 dismantling of title rivals Bayern Munich earlier this month.
