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The strongest coaches of the first half of the season: Xabi Alonso (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
It’s almost too easy to name the 42-year-old Basque as one of the top coaches in the Bundesliga. But after his arrival in Leverkusen in autumn 2022, Alonso did a great job. First, he rebuilt the spirit of the undoubtedly talented team and scored necessary points with a switch-heavy style of play.
Alonso recently spoke about how he initially approached the task in Leverkusen very pragmatically and wanted to lead Bayer out of the bottom of the table. “We weren’t a possession team last year. We were a transition team, we were a counterattack team,” explained Alonso. “That was completely different than this year. To be able to do that, to convince the players of that, that probably made me a better coach. It was my idea to develop our game.”
He has managed to do exactly that since the summer break. With a few new additions, which Alonso and his coaching team were involved in selecting and who have all made a success, Leverkusen has developed into one of the most formidable possession teams in Europe. The Werkself stands out even more in the Bundesliga because almost the vast majority of Alonso’s coaching colleagues prefer switching football.
2023-12-28 09:23:12
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