Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly started telling “people in the dressing room” that he will be done with Real Madrid at the end of the season and will take over the job as national team coach for Brazil, where the Brazilian Football Federation is going to great lengths financially to secure one of the world’s best coaches. For the reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, this means that “the time has come”.
Xavi Alonso is called home, reports German Sky Sports. The Bayer Leverkusen coach won a historic Bundesliga gold, chose to stay with Leverkusen, and has also shown last season was not a fluke.
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It is not only the German and Spanish media that are convinced Alonso will be the new Real Madrid coach, Bayer Leverkusen have taken on the job of identifying candidates to replace the successful coach.
German Sky Sports reports Imanol Alguacil is high on the wish list of the Leverkusen management. The head coach of Alonso’s former club Real Sociedad, has led the Basque club since 2018, the Spaniard has announced that he will let his contract with the La Liga club expire this summer.
Xabi Alonso is expected to make the decision on the way forward during the week, where a meeting with the Leverkusen management has been set up, claims Spanish Relevo.
Bayer Leverkusen started with Real Sociedad’s second-team coach Alonso, then moves to the same club’s head coach. Sounds like the Germans like the job being done in the Basque Country.
Alguacil was on guard when Real Sociedad brought in Martin Ødegaard on loan.
“When I found out that it was possible to pick him up, I watched some of his games, and then I had no doubts. After meeting him, I knew we had to pick him up. He wanted to come to us because he needs a team that plays the way we do,” Imanol told Marca in 2019.
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With Alguacil as coach, Martin Ødegaard got the working conditions until the final breakthrough, which sent him later to Arsenal. The rest is history. Sounds like a coach with good flair.
