When Xabi Alonso replaced Jurgen Klopp as manager, there was talk that the Liverpool star should be appointed player-manager. Jurgen Klopp announced last month that he will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season after nine years in the top job at Anfield.
The German manager guided Liverpool to four major trophies, including the club’s first Premier League title, 30 years after their previous group victory.Klopp leaves very big shoes to fill, and Xabi Alonso will fill them. The former midfielder knows Liverpool well, having spent five years at Anfield between 2004 and 2009 and has proven his managerial skills this season.
Alonso took over as manager of Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and turned the club into a Bundesliga title contender this season. His side currently lead the table, two points ahead of Bayern Munich, and are yet to lose a home game this season after reaching the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal. A number of top managers have been linked with the Anfield job, including Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and Luciano Spalletti, but Alonso remains the favourite.
With many fans expecting him to replace Klopp, some have tipped him to sign a special contract once he takes over. Some fans believe Alonso should appoint his former Spain team-mate Thiago Alcantara as player-coach. The midfielder has been plagued by injuries since his £20million move from Bayern Munich to Liverpool in 2020.
The 32-year-old returned from a nine-month layoff in Liverpool’s 3-1 Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday but appeared to pick up another injury in a five-minute cameo. While some fans are happy to see Thiago back when his contract expires at the end of the season, others want Alonso to keep him as both a player and a coach.
Regarding “A new era in the Premier League is about to begin.”The idea of training Thiago is certainly interesting. In June, Diogo Jota, Fabinho and Joel Matip were seen receiving their UEFA coaching badges at the club’s training facility, but Thiago did not join them.
However, other fans are less enthusiastic about Thiago taking on a new role at the club. One fan said: “He (Alonso) doesn’t necessarily want Thiago to play,” while another cruelly joked: “Tiago still gets injured as a coach.”
