Xabi Alonso a standout manager of new generation, says Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on Friday praised his Leverkusen counterpart Xabi Alonso as a "standout" manager of the new generation.

Alonso, 42, took over at Leverkusen in October 2022. The club finished in sixth place in the first season of his tenure during the 2022-23 campaign. Having kept nearly the same roster this season, Leverkusen shocked the whole Bundesliga by leading it with 17 wins and four draws, five points ahead of reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen just beat Bayern 3-0 at home on February 10 to extend their unbeaten streak to 31 games across all competitions this season, one game away from matching Bayern's all-time German record of 32 games.

"Xabi is doing an incredible job," Klopp said at a press conference. "That's completely independent [of reports linking Alonso to Liverpool]. If you would have asked me eight weeks ago about Xabi Alonso, I would have gone: 'Oh my God.'"

"The dinosaurs, if you want – [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Jose] Mourinho, [Pep] Guardiola, maybe me – we will not do it for the next 20 years. OK, maybe Mourinho will. The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is standout in that department," Klopp added.

Alonso played for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, winning one UEFA Champions League title and one FA Cup with the Reds, among other honors. Since Klopp announced last month that he will part ways with the club after the 2023-24 season, Alonso was seen as one of the most likely candidates to succeed him.

"Former world-class player, from a coaching family as well, which helps a little; he was like a coach already when he was playing," Klopp said of Alonso. "The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did, it is absolutely exceptional. I played a long time in the Bundesliga, and it is super impressive. Not only the points tally but the way they play."

Alonso was asked about Klopp's decision to step down after the season. He said that he was only focused on Leverkusen and that "what will happen [in the future], I don't know."

Leverkusen will visit Voith-Arena to play Heidenheim in their next Bundesliga game on Saturday. Alonso didn't want his team to be distracted by the championship discussion.

"If we do it, I'll be very happy, but it's not a thought for me right now," the Spanish manager said on Friday. "My thoughts are on Heidenheim and preparing. It's a consequence of the top season we've had so far, but it's not a concern or a thought for me."