Before the top game between Bayer Leverkusen and FC Bayern on Saturday evening (6:30 p.m.), many eyes are on Xabi Alonso, who has shaped the Werkself into title contenders. The long-time Munich decision-maker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would have liked to bring the Spaniard to Säbener Straße as a coach.
“His development doesn’t surprise me in any way. I also wanted to get him as an assistant coach, but unfortunately that didn’t work out back then,” Rummenigge revealed in an interview with the “Abendzeitung”.
Xabi Alonso was “the conductor even as a player on the pitch,” the 68-year-old recalled of the world-class player’s era at FC Bayern: “He impressed with his high level of game intelligence and discipline.”
According to Rummenigge, he can only “take off his hat” to the work of the trainer in Leverkusen: “You shouldn’t forget that when he came, they were second to last. Now they are first with this attractive football.”
Two points separate FC Bayern from the top duel with Alonso’s Werkself. Rummenigge aggressively: “Basically, we’ve always been second all season so far, sometimes four points behind – now we can even take the lead in the table with a win on Saturday.”
FC Bayern: Rummenigge etches against Hamann
In contrast to Alonso, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has repeatedly been criticized in recent weeks and months. Recently, Julian Nagelsmann’s successor had public skirmishes with critics such as Lothar Matthäus and Dietmar Hamann.
In this context, Rummenigge clearly supported Tuchel. “As far as Didi Hamann is concerned, I think any answer to him only makes the matter unnecessary,” said the former CEO.
The previous week, a dispute had briefly escalated after Hamann recognized an “insolence” in Tuchel’s behavior during a visit to the fan club. After an angry statement from Bayern’s bosses, the “Sky” expert finally apologized, but Tuchel refused.