2024-03-29 09:48:04
According to a report, Xabi Alonso will continue to be coach at Bayer Leverkusen next season. According to the portal “The Athletic”, FC Bayern and Liverpool are currently assuming that the most sought-after football coach in Europe will not be available this summer and are intensively looking for other options. For Bayern, one of these alternatives could actually be ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick.
Bavaria’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß practically ruled out signing Alonso as Thomas Tuchel’s successor in an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk on Thursday. He could imagine that Alonso, “the way I got to know him and appreciate him, is more inclined to carry on because he doesn’t want to leave that behind now.”
In Munich, other candidates to succeed Tuchel are Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton, who Liverpool is also said to have on the list, and Rangnick. The 65-year-old, once a coach in Stuttgart, Leipzig and at Schalke 04, was also named by the “kicker” on Thursday as Plan B. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Rangnick was already a candidate at FC Bayern in 2019, but Hansi Flick was then chosen as Niko’s successor Kovac ordered. After that, the timing was no longer right – and it looks like it is now.
Rangnick’s contract with the ÖFB runs at least until the end of 2025. ÖFB sports director Peter Schöttel recently said in an interview with the APA – Austria Press Agency that he was not worried that Rangnick could terminate it prematurely, “because I already have your impression “that Ralf totally identifies with the team and wants to be as successful as possible with them.” Rangnick’s goal is to be part of the finals with a national team. “And he definitely wants to go to a World Cup,” said Schöttel.
The commitment of a current national coach who is represented with his team at the European Championships in Germany would also have a serious disadvantage for Bayern: If the tournament goes well, Rangnick could be tied to Austria until mid-July – and would not have gone on vacation then. At this point, however, the club should have already restarted and a new coach would hardly have any time to prepare before the start of the season.
Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane, who are currently without a club, have also been linked to Munich. Bayern’s sports director Max Eberl did not want to commit to a fixed date for the search for a coach at Sky. “It would be nice if we could get it done in April. If it takes a little longer, it just takes a little longer,” he said. Eberl did not comment on names. Liverpool are also said to be interested in Ruben Amorim from Sporting Lisbon.
Former Liverpool and Bayern professional Alonso has been head coach at Leverkusen since October 2022. The Spanish world and European champion led his team from the bottom of the table into the Europa League. Leverkusen is still unbeaten in all competitions this season, is ten points ahead in the Bundesliga and is heading for its first championship title. In the DFB Cup semi-finals, Bayer is favorite against second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf, and in the Europa League they face West Ham United in the quarter-finals.
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