The former Liverpool midfielder faced serious criticism after his side crashed of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday
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Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso suffered arguably the most embarrassing defeat of his tenure on Tuesday
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso suffered arguably the most embarrassing defeat of his tenure on Tuesday
(Image: Getty)
Xabi Alonso was left embarrassed on Tuesday as his Bayer Leverkusen side crashed out of the DFB-Pokal. Alonso, who has been linked with a managerial move to Anfield in the past, won the Bundesliga crown with Leverkusen last term.
Having faced Arminia Bielefeld last night, his side was beaten 2-1 by the third-tier outfit, removing any chance of him winning silverware at the helm this season.
Defender Jonathan Tah had given Leverkusen a 17th-minute lead but that opener was quickly cancelled out as Marius World found the net just three minutes later.
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Maximilian Großer scored the winner just before half-time, meaning his side will now play either Stuttgart or RB Leipzig in this season's final next month.
The defeat has been labelled one of the biggest shocks in German football history and Alonso admitted prior to the game that plenty of respect had to be given to Arminia's threat.
"We have to respect Arminia, they have beaten three Bundesliga teams already," he told reporters earlier this week.
"We have to be ready for a tough game. We need to give everything, it's an all-or-nothing game. The DFB-Pokal is special. It writes its own stories. Arminia has done very well and deserves to be in the semis.
"Arminia play with a lot of energy and are courageous with the ball. They are very dynamic going forward. It's the semis, we're expecting a great atmosphere in Bielefeld and we'll have to give it our all."
Alonso has also recently seen his side crash out of the UEFA Champions League after they were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by fellow German side Bayern Munich.
The former Reds midfielder continues to be linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, but this damaging result will not have done him any favours in that respect.