Xabi Alonso is under mounting pressure at Real Madrid – and former Barcelona star Rivaldo has given his verdict on him replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool
Xabi Alonso has been told he would a great fit for the Liverpool job
Xabi Alonso has been told he would a great fit for the Liverpool job(Image: (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images))
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Liverpool would be an ideal fit for Xabi Alonso's managerial skills, according to Brazilian football icon Rivaldo. Despite hoping that the Spanish manager weathers the storm at Real Madrid, Rivaldo acknowledges the rumours of a rift between Alonso and his squad, who have only managed two victories in their last six games.
Their shaky performances kicked off with a 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League in early November. With their next match in the tournament against Manchester City, whispers suggest another defeat could mark the end of Alonso's seven-month reign at Real Madrid.
Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot has also been feeling the heat due to recent results with just five wins from their last 16 games in all competitions. If the top job at Merseyside were to open up, Rivaldo believes Alonso would be a strong contender.
"I hope Xabi Alonso stays at Real Madrid. He's a great manager and did an excellent job in Germany. But if he leaves, going to Liverpool is a great option," the World Cup winner of 2002 shared with Betfair.
"He knows the club, he played there. That makes things easier. You leave one big club for another big one."
Rivaldo cautioned: "However, to be in a club as a player is one thing, as a coach is another.
"He's already shown he can be a great coach. There will always be pressure, he had it as a player and will have it as a manager. But he'll have structure and good players, so there's no reason to worry. He just needs to work with different personalities.
"Overall, I hope he stays at Real Madrid and proves his quality. For that, he needs to bring the group on his side."
Meanwhile, Slot continues to command respect at Liverpool. His side secured a crucial 1-0 triumph over Inter Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday evening, without Mohamed Salah following his outburst after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United last weekend.
(Image: (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
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The Dutchman lavished praise on his squad following the final whistle in Italy, commending their 'great mentality' for battling until the dying moments to clinch victory. Key players, including Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson, publicly backed their manager in response.
Rivaldo offered a starkly contrasting assessment of Real Madrid's current turmoil.
"Something is happening between the players and the coach at Real Madrid. Alonso needs authority, but he also needs to be friends with the players, especially the stars: Vinicius Junior and Mbappe, to name two. He needs to bring them close. When he tries to be too authoritarian, players get upset.
"No one wants to lose on purpose, but the environment gets bad. You can see the environment at Real Madrid is not good.
"He needs to bring those big players back to his side. [Pep] Guardiola has always done that very well. That's what Xabi Alonso is missing: getting the key players close. Not fighting over small things, not substituting players all the time.
"When the environment is bad, that's when rumours appear around players wanting to leave, like Vinicius. Not because of Real Madrid, but the environment. I think there's a lack of dialogue."
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