TM community discusses rumor
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“I doubt whether it helps that the discussions aren’t being held,” said Thomas Tuchel about CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen’s commitment to him as Bayern coach after the 2-3 win at VfL Bochum. The fact that the media will lead this discussion is part of the deal. He turned out to be right: On Monday, the English portal “The Athletic” reported, with reference to reporter Raphael Honigstein, that the Munich team had identified Xabi Alonso as the preferred solution to succeed Tuchel: the then potential master coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Another upheaval at FC Bayern? (with Florian Plettenberg/Sky)
It is not the first time that the 42-year-old Spaniard’s name has been mentioned in the same sentence as FC Bayern. It has even been speculated very often that Alonso could return to the record champions, where he ended his playing career in 2017, in the course of his not particularly long coaching career. He was once supposed to come to FCB as sports director, but turned it down.
When Alonso started as a coach, Julian Nagelsmann, who had been transferred to FC Bayern for 25 million euros, was still there and Tuchel, who had actually been more or less firmly in the saddle until then, took over from him. Now the Munich team, who are used to success, are facing their first titleless season since 2012 and an Alonso who makes “Vizekusen” champions seems the logical choice for a new beginning. Most recently, ex-coach Hansi Flick and big international names from José Mourinho to Zinédine Zidane were traded.
As with Nagelsmann: Xabi Alonso would cost FC Bayern a high fee
It is unclear how expensive Alonso, who is contractually bound to Bayer until 2026, would cost Bayern. Bayer boss Fernando Carro more or less denied reports of an exit clause – sometimes just for Real Madrid, sometimes general – at the end of 2023, but left a back door open for an exit. Speaking on Talksport, he said: “There’s nothing on paper, but sometimes deals that aren’t written down are still deals.”
With Potter & Hütter: The most expensive coaches in the world – Bundesliga represented 5 times
It is therefore quite possible that the Werkself will release their successful coach early for a corresponding fee. However, after paying 25 million euros for Nagelsmann in 2021, Bayern may have to break the transfer record for a coach again. If this happens, Alonso would be the first coach since Werder Bremen’s Otto Rehhagel in the summer of 1995 that Bayern would bring in from a Bundesliga rival that is ahead of Munich in the table. Ottmar Hitzfeld also came from Borussia Dortmund in 1998, but had resigned from his coaching position there a year earlier after winning the Champions League and worked as sports director.
TM community does not yet believe in Alonso moving to FC Bayern in 2024
The rumor has not yet been acknowledged with the greatest enthusiasm in the TM community. “Berliner1350” writes: “Alonso yeah, I think he would be well advised to spend another two years at Bayer and not take over a top club straight away.” User “Taz__7” sees another favorite for the coming summer: “ The successor that is most pressing to me at the moment, not only in terms of sport and accessibility, but above all because of a certain Uli Hoeneß, who is mixing more than ever, would be the ‘repatriation campaign’ of Uli’s nephew Sebastian Hoeneß.” The 41-year-old is tied to VfB Stuttgart until 2025.
“Ready2Rumble” meanwhile believes that Alonso will “one day become a coach at Bayern,” but sees him making another change beforehand: “Before that, he will coach Liverpool, I strongly assume that. I see Kloppo at Real or the DFB in 2025. Who stays? That will be the only reason why Tuchel is still in office.” The Reds, who have to replace Jürgen Klopp in the summer, have been considered interested in Alonso since that announcement.
Bayer sports director Simon Rolfes said in January – before the announcement of Klopp’s departure from Anfield Road and the Bayern results crisis – about Alonso’s future in the Transfermarkt interview: “There will certainly be changes in the future, then you have to react to them . But that is not our focus at the moment because we are convinced that the coach and many players know what they have at the club. The club is developing well, is ambitious and is doing everything it can to improve the team and develop players. There is an environment here in which many people enjoy working. We are calm on all issues and in a good position.”
Bayer Leverkusen’s sports director Simon Rolfes in an interview (read here!)
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