With Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso returns to Liverpool FC as coach for the first time. The 42-year-old Spaniard celebrated some of the greatest moments of his career with the “Reds”.
Xabi Alonso initially didn’t want to talk about his emotional return to Liverpool. There is still time for that shortly before the game, he said. But when the curiosity was greater than expected a few days earlier, the Basque finally said something. “Playing the Champions League at Anfield – it’s difficult to top that,” said Alonso.
Program note
Open the box
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You can see all games and all goals from Tuesday as part of “Champions League – Highlights” from 11 p.m. on SRF two. On Wednesday we will show you Shakhtar vs YB live from 6:45 p.m.
Back to the past
Xabi Alonso visits Anfield with Leverkusen, where he experienced magical nights.
Imago/Jan Hübner
He could have told a lot more about his time with the “Reds” before the game on Tuesday. For example, about the unique atmosphere at the legendary Anfield Road, where the former midfield conductor played between 2004 and 2009. Or about the legendary Champions League final, in which he and Liverpool defeated AC Milan in 2005 after being 3-0 down and scored an important goal himself.
Alonso will also remember the early autumn of 2006, when he scored what was probably the most spectacular goal of his career, which was not exactly rich in goals, against Newcastle United from more than 50 meters.
Alonso was already on Liverpool’s list
So there is more than enough material for the images that will flash before Alonso’s mind when he returns to England. He could have even come back sooner; according to media reports, he was at the top of Liverpool’s wish list in the summer to succeed Jürgen Klopp. However, the Spaniard decided to stay with the Werkself.
Arne Slot became Liverpool’s coach instead. Alonso couldn’t have done much better than the Dutchman, Liverpool greets us from the top of the table after 10 match days in the Premier League. In the premier class, Liverpool are the only team alongside Aston Villa to have won all three games so far.
First we have to enjoy it.
“I know what it’s like to play there,” said Granit Xhaka, who played in Liverpool a few times with Arsenal between 2016 and 2023 but never won (apart from a penalty win in the League Cup). “It’s the Champions League, in the evening in Liverpool – first we have to enjoy it.”
It will be something special for almost all of the players in the Leverkusen squad to hear the fans singing “You’ll never walk alone” in the sold-out stadium. But it will also be crucial for Xhaka and Co. not to be blinded by the special atmosphere.
Swiss
