Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen past this summer has thrown Liverpool’s hunt for a new manager in the air and and it was a choice that not many would have made.
Speaking exclusively with Empire of the Kop’s Substack about the Spaniard’s decision, Jan Age Fjortoft said: ‘I’m not sure that I would do the same, I think that 9 of 10 managers would think, ‘wow, Bayern and Liverpool want us – I will run, I will swim over the English channel to get to Liverpool!’ But Alonso is different.’
It’s testament to the integrity of our former player that he has said no to two job opportunities that most managers would kill to be given a sniff at.
READ MORE: Exclusive: ‘Don’t believe this stuff’ about Alonso’s decision – Fjortoft
Instead of jumping from job to job and jeopardising the work that’s currently being done in the Bundesliga, the 42-year-old has chose to develop his skills further before taking the next step.
As much as we should applaud the former midfielder’s decision to remain loyal and to honour his contract, it does mean that we’re unlikely to see him sat in the Anfield dugout as our boss.
It’s a decision that will ironically make the World Cup winner gain more respect from the two clubs who are most disappointed by his decision.
READ MORE: (Video) Not Alonso: Klopp assesses another candidate to replace him as Liverpool boss
An ideal world means that we won’t even need to consider the prospect of our former No.14 being our head coach next summer as our new man will be in the midst of a successful spell on Merseyside.
The only worry is that it paves the way for a move to Real Madrid in 2025 and a long reign of success at the Bernabeu.
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