Part 5/6:
The crucial thing for clubs like Liverpool, Bayern, and Real Madrid is the bond Alonso has not only with the fans but with the club hierarchy. He is seen as someone who can connect the boardroom with the terraces and do it almost instantly – a precious quality for any manager at a top club where the pressure is so high and the need to deliver is so immediate.
The risk, of course, is that managerial careers work on timings. Liverpool and Bayern may well not be available at the end of this season, as they have already appointed new managers in Anfield and the Allianz Arena, respectively. However, Alonso's name may still be at the top of the list for another top job – potentially at Real Madrid, where Carlo Ancelotti's second spell has brought endless success.