Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has raised concerns about Xabi Alonso’s decision to turn down managerial opportunities at Liverpool and Bayern Munich in favor of staying at Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso, who currently manages Leverkusen, cited unfinished business with the club as his reason for not considering the offers from two of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Leverkusen is currently enjoying a successful season, sitting unbeaten at the top of the Bundesliga and a comfortable 10 points clear of Bayern Munich. Despite this, Merson believes that Alonso may come to regret his decision to pass up the chance to manage Liverpool or Bayern Munich, as opportunities like these are rare in a manager’s career.
Departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also weighed in on Alonso’s decision, praising the work he has done at Leverkusen and acknowledging the difficult choice he faced. With Alonso out of the running for the Liverpool job, it is now reported that Amorim from Sporting Lisbon is the leading candidate to take over the reins at Anfield.
As speculation continues to swirl around the managerial merry-go-round in European football, it remains to be seen whether Alonso’s decision will pay off in the long run. With strong performances from Leverkusen this season, Alonso seems committed to seeing through his project at the club, despite the lure of managing one of football’s giants. Forever Sports Online will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.
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