August 21st 2024.
Last season, Xabi Alonso made a remarkable achievement by leading Bayer Leverkusen to Bundesliga glory. However, his success as a manager is not the only thing that sets him apart. It turns out that during his playing days, Alonso almost joined Arsenal from Liverpool. This revelation was recently made by his former manager, Rafa Benitez.
Alonso and Benitez had a strong working relationship during their time at Liverpool. In fact, it was Benitez who gave Alonso his first coaching opportunity after the midfielder retired from playing seven years ago. Currently, Alonso is the manager of Bayer Leverkusen, the team he guided to an unbeaten league season and a domestic double last year.
Although Alonso is now known for his managerial skills, he also had an illustrious playing career with Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He spent five years at Anfield between 2004 and 2009, and his talent and intelligence on the pitch were greatly admired.
But things could have turned out differently for Alonso. His former boss, Benitez, revealed that the midfielder had an agreement in place to join Arsenal, which unfortunately fell through. According to Benitez, this happened during a crucial Champions League qualifier against Standard de Liège when Liverpool were faced with multiple injury and availability issues.
Despite having a pre-existing agreement with Arsenal, Alonso had to play in the game as it was crucial for Liverpool's chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Benitez recalls telling his star players, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, about the situation and how Alonso needed to play despite his desire to avoid getting cup-tied.
In the end, Liverpool won the game and qualified for the Champions League, thanks in part to Alonso's contribution. He went on to have a fantastic season with the club, proving to be their best player. Benitez believes that it was this performance that ultimately convinced Alonso to stay with Liverpool instead of joining Arsenal.
The fans at Anfield adored Alonso and showed their appreciation for him, even though he was supposedly on his way to Arsenal. However, Benitez believes that it was Alonso's love for the club and his dedication to the team that made him stay.
Benitez shared this story during an interview on the Stick to Football podcast, where he also discussed his time at Liverpool and other interesting insights. This just goes to show the strong bond that exists between Alonso and Benitez, even after all these years.
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