Xabi Alonso on his return to Liverpool this UCL gameweek as his Leverkusen side face the Premier League leaders.
Xabi Alonso is back with Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool’s opponent in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
If Liverpool had given him any encouragement, he might have been looking for a new job this summer and could have returned sooner. He didn’t consider it a possibility at the time, and he wasn’t eager to bring it up again during his Monday pregame press conference.
“At the time I was focused on a big thing with Leverkusen,” said the man who has transformed the German club’s fortunes and was the popular choice to succeed Klopp earlier this year before Arne Slot took it and hit the ground running.
“Let’s talk about the game tomorrow, it’s more interesting than my future,” Alonso said. “Let’s talk about the great players on both sides, that is what is in my head. For us it is a big challenge to come here. Liverpool at the moment is one of the best if not the best in Europe. They are showing that in a very strong Premier League and the Champions League. It’s a good squad, good coach. At Anfield, it’s a big challenge.”
Klopp’s choice to inform the Liverpool administration of his resignation last November had the advantage of giving them time to consider possible replacements. At the beginning of their search, Liverpool was told that Alonso had no intention of leaving Leverkusen at the end of the 2023–24 campaign. Instead, due diligence began in private on Feyenoord’s Slot. The exclamation for Alonso’s homecoming has been forgotten thanks to Liverpool’s incredible 13-game winning streak in their first 15 games under the head coach. However, the elegant Basque has a solid reputation at Anfield.
The Leverkusen coach said: “It feels great to be back after a few years. It’s always special. You notice the development of the club, the new stands look pretty amazing. For sure tomorrow is a big game against Liverpool in a great moment, it cannot get much better than that. I’m not thinking that much [about how he will be received].
“I’m thinking more about how to prepare for the game. I might think about my memories when I go for a walk or a run tomorrow. I know the city, I love it and I still have friends here, but I don’t have time for tourism.”