Rafa Benitez has urged Xabi Alonso against accepting the Liverpool position too quickly, as the manager of Bayern Leverkusen is still being linked to taking over for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Xabi Alonso is widely regarded as the top candidate to succeed Klopp, who announced his departure at the end of the season.
At the top of the Bundesliga, Leverkusen leads by eight points and has not lost a league match under the 42-year-old, who played a key role in Benitez’s Champions League-winning Liverpool team.
Once Bayern Munich confirmed that Thomas Tuchel would be leaving at the end of the season, the Spaniard was also connected to the position there.
But Alonso has received warnings from Benitez about the risks of moving up in his career too quickly, particularly in the era of social media.
“I understand why [Alonso is being linked] because he’s a big name, good professional, good lad, clever, and doing well with Leverkusen,” Benitez stated in a Times interview.
Imagine, though, that Steven Gerrard is still alive and well. “Gerrard!” would then be spoken.
“He can be a very good manager, and he will succeed if he has good players,” but will he be able to sustain this success for five or ten years? I’m not sure.
He can now play for any elite team, but they will be aiming to win the championship. And even though it could be a fantastic season, people might think, “Oh, he’s failed,” if you come in second.
You could make a mistake in the past, grow from it, and join a different team the following year. The press and social media these days are “blah blah”; new coaches may be impacted.
In an attempt to hire Alonso as the team’s future manager, Liverpool is rumored to have already contacted Alonso’s agent, Inaki Ibanez.
While all is going on, Leverkusen’s sporting director has expressed his “calm” and “optimistic” belief that Alonso will reject summer offers and stick with the team for the upcoming campaign.