Liverpool fans once dreamed of a fairytale reunion with former midfielder Xabi Alonso when the future beyond Jurgen Klopp was still in the balance.
The Merseysiders failed to lure the Spanish coach away from Bayer Leverkusen, but they managed to attract an interesting proposition in Arne Slot.
Such an attractive option, in fact, that the Dutchman would still have been a serious candidate even if the Bundesliga winner had declared his interest in a move to Anfield.
“No one at Liverpool denies that Alonso would have been a serious candidate if he had been willing to take the job. But they dispute that an expression of interest from their former midfielder would have only made one horse . Slot, they say, was firmly in their thoughts at this point. James Pearce and Oliver Kay reported for The Athletic.
The former AZ Alkmaar boss joins us after winning the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup during his time at Rotterdam.
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No greater approval
Given that many at the time considered Alonso the pinnacle of future European managers, that speaks volumes about our new boss’s high rating.
It won’t be Jurgen Klopp mk.2 – we have to emphasize that. We wouldn’t want that to be the case either. Our beloved German tactician is and will remain one of a kind; an example to follow, not an act to follow.
Ultimately, if Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes – with the help of our world-class data service – are convinced we have the right person, we are inclined to believe them.
Now it’s up to us to honor our outgoing head coach’s final wish: to support the new man in the technical area with everything we have as a fanbase.
Welcome, Arne Slot.
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