Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, rarely offers personal comments during his press conferences. However, when news broke that Xabi Alonso, his former Bayern Munich teammate, was set to leave Bayer Leverkusen, Guardiola was quick to express his admiration for the Spanish coach.

Guardiola, who brought Alonso to Bayern Munich in 2014, had a successful partnership with him, securing two Bundesliga titles. Since then, Alonso’s coaching career has soared. In just his first full season at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso led the team to an incredible double, winning both the Bundesliga title and the German Cup, finishing the league campaign unbeaten.

When asked about Alonso’s impact at Leverkusen, Guardiola was effusive in his praise, calling it “unbelievable.” He reflected on Alonso’s coaching abilities, saying, “I think all the managers who had the opportunity to work with him as a player always knew he had the qualities to be a great manager.”

Guardiola also acknowledged the challenges Alonso faced in Germany, particularly in competing against the mighty Bayern Munich. Despite this, Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten run, which only ended in a loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final, was a testament to Alonso’s influence and strategic brilliance.

Guardiola concluded by stating, “The way they played, the way he improved the players – Leverkusen should be incredibly proud of the work they’ve done together for the last three years.”

With Alonso’s impressive track record, it’s clear that the former midfielder has established himself as one of the brightest managerial talents in Europe.