Xabi Alonso has disregarded the feelings of managing towards Liverpool at Anfield, going through his former membership for the primary time since leaving for Actual Madrid in 2009.
Alonso takes his Bayer Leverkusen facet to Anfield for Champions League matchday 4, hoping to develop into the primary staff to take factors off Arne Slot’s Reds within the competitors this season.
The Spaniard by no means performed towards Liverpool for Madrid, having moved on to Bayern Munich by the point the golf equipment had been drawn in the identical Champions League group in 2014/15. So heading again to Anfield, now as a coach, is a second that has been greater than 15 years within the making.
“We’ll see, I’ll inform you after the sport how I really feel,” Alonso mentioned forward of the sport when requested about the potential for Liverpool followers singing his title on the night time.
“There shall be a second for every little thing, however the principle factor isn’t me. It is the gamers, how we cope with the feelings you could have on this stadium.”
Alonso, having delivered Leverkusen’s first ever Bundesliga title, had been the favorite to interchange Jurgen Klopp on the finish of final season. However he opted to remain in Germany, with Arne Slot getting the gig quickly afterwards – the Dutchman has made a flying begin.
“Let’s speak in regards to the nice gamers on each side, that’s what is in my head,” Alonso mentioned.
“For us it’s a large problem to come back right here. Liverpool in the mean time is among the greatest, if not the most effective, in Europe. It is a good squad, good coach. At Anfield, it is a large problem. We’re trying ahead to it, let’s examine what occurs.”
Alonso joined Liverpool from Actual Sociedad as a participant in the summertime of 2004 and rapidly grew to become an instrumental a part of the membership’s surprising Champions League triumph that first season. He was then a part of the facet that ran Manchester United all the best way within the 2008/09 Premier League title race, earlier than Actual Madrid paid round £30m to take him again to Spain.
Alonso retired from enjoying with Bayern Munich in 2017, returning to Actual Madrid as a youth coach whereas he labored by means of his elite teaching {qualifications}, then touchdown a job as Actual Sociedad B head coach in 2019. Three years later, he was appointed by a struggling Leverkusen.
