When football clubs introduce new coaches, usually in moments of crisis, the image of the “wish solution” is often brought up. In reality, this is usually a result of difficult compromises and considerations. Bayer Leverkusen’s sports director Simon Rolfes was also suspected of spreading this age-old half-truth when, a little over 13 months ago, he declared former world-class player Xabi Alonso, in a somewhat modified form, to be the “premium solution” to the coaching problem that the factory club was facing after a thunderous downturn faced the separation from Gerardo Seoane.
The usual, skeptics assumed: A big name, but how often have former stars failed when trying to apply their past knowledge to today’s football? However, it is now clear that Rolfes was not only brave and clever. With Xabi Alonso, he has found today’s ideal choice for pretty much every vacant coaching position in the world. The 41-year-old Basque has become something of an ideal coach, a coach who many believe will soon take over Real Madrid.
