The recent elimination of FC Barcelona in the Champions League makes it clear that Xavi Hernandez He can't take it anymore with the culé bench. However, the perfection of Xabi Alonso with Bayer Leverkusen shows what it's like to be a successful coach in Europe.
Both leaders are from the same country (Spain), although they share similarities, there are many differences that show that one is better than the other.
Xavi and Xabi were considered overqualified players with higher intelligence on the field, who made it seem like they understood the game much faster than others. Their positions allowed them to be the driving force of their respective teams. Both led their clubs to be champions.
After those golden years as players, the time came to leave the field of play and stand on the side to continue directing the strings of a team, but from the bench.
The Catalan first began his internship as a technical director in Qatari football. After a few games the call came from the team he loves (FC Barcelona). Hernández took over an almost destroyed club. The problem is that Xavi, even having won La Liga in his second year in charge, seems not to be up to par with a European team.
Xavi Hernández lost his temper in the duel against PSG. Barça's coach ended up being expelled after kicking the camera protections in the bench area, after an angry protest against a referee's decision. The Romanian Istvan Kovacs did not hesitate, he approached his technical area and showed him the straight red card.
This makes it clear that Xavi is not yet ready to be a coach who controls the command and, obviously, who is successful.
That's when the name of Xabi Alonso comes in, who with his style of play perfected the way of watching football. The man from Tolosa earns his doctorate on the bench, leading Leverkusen to the first Bundesliga in its history.
The former Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern player, who has just begun his career in the coaching elite, is already savoring the sweetness of victory, multiplying the global prestige of Basque coaches.
With little, Alonso beat a Bundesliga giant like Bayern Munich, which was left without a championship after 11 years.
I like Xabi's game. It is elegant, clean and satisfying. In fact, they are the only team from the old continent that remains undefeated after having played 43 games – 38 wins and five draws.
