Xabi Alonso tipped for Bayern role having snubbed RB Leipzig offer

Bayern Munich CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, says Xabi Alonso recently turned down an offer to become an assistant coach at RB Leipizig, adding that he expects the former midfielder to take a job with Bayern Munich in the future.

Alonso played for Bayern from 2014 to 2017, winning three Bundesliga titles with the club before retiring from the game.

The former Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Spain midfielder has since moved into coaching, and just completed his first season at the helm of Madrid’s U13 team.

Given the tactical lessons the former midfielder learned from managers like Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, and Vicente del Bosque, Alonso has long been earmarked as a potential manager, and Rummenigge says that he was recently offered a foot in the door with RB Leipzig.

“I mentioned the name Xabi Alonso recently, but he will be no head coach in the next few years,” Rummenigge told AZ, Bild, and tz.

“He was a terrific player, a wonderful person and he‘s a trainee now. I was only aware of this because Xabi had a request to work as an assistant coach for Julian Nagelsmann in Leipzig.”

However, Rummenigge says Alonso refused that offer, although the Bayern executive says he sees the former Spain star one day making his way to Bayern in some capacity.

“My knowledge is he refused the offer. But that does not mean that you have to refuse an offer of Bayern Munich,” he said.

“The assistant coach is a topic on which the head coach has to decide. I thought that this great player was an absolute role model as a player and person. We are interested in keeping in touch with such people at Bayern Munich if they embark on a career path that involves football.

“As I said: It was not regarding a head coaching position, but I can imagine that he can eventually make his way to Bayern Munich.”

He added: “I think if you played football that strategically smart, intelligent and well like he did, you automatically had a lot of good coaches who trained you. And when you combine that with your personality, you know: he will go his way.”

The club’s current manager, Niko Kovac, has been under fire for much of the year, but the club appears to be on pace for another Bundesliga title.

Bayern currently maintain a four-point lead over Borussia Dortmund with two matches remaining and, given that, Rummenigge says he has no issues with Kovac’s performance this season.

“I have always said: At Bayern Munich you have to deliver. That goes for everyone, the coach, the players, the management, everyone,” he said.

“Our whole system is based on success. We have continuously developed and sustained success since the 1970s. I have no problem with him at all. He also said it: we have no problem at all. But success comes first at Bayern and that’s necessary, too.”