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Bayer Leverkusen star Alejandro Grimaldo has explained what it’s like to play under Xabi Alonso.
With Jurgen Klopp vacating his role as Liverpool boss at the end of the current campaign the Spaniard has been linked with a move to Anfield to replace the former Borussia Dortmund boss in the summer.
The 42-year-old is also being linked with two of his other former sides, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with him doing an exceptional job at Leverkusen this term.
The German outfit are currently 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and Grimaldo, one of the side’s most important players this term, is loving life under our former No.14.
“For me, he’s a very special coach,” the defender told Fabrizio Romano (as quoted by Liverpool ECHO).
“It is clear that I came for him, he treats me very well, he’s helped me adapt very quickly. For me, he’s very special because he knows how to explain each concept, he knows how to treat players, how to demand from them but giving them confidence without taking it away at any time.
“I remember in the game against Stuttgart in the first half the team was very bad. He came at half-time and said something like: ‘I don’t care if we win or lose, we’re going to play the way we know how to play.’
“He demanded some things but he said: ‘I don’t care about the result, what I want is for us to play the way we know how.’ We went out and it was totally different.
“What I want to tell you is he knows how to treat players. It’s clear that he’s been a player recently and he’s been an incredible player.
“He’s also had very good coaches in his career. I think all that makes him the coach he is today. He is going to mark an era in the dugouts.”
Grimaldo only signed for Leverkusen from Benfica in the summer and has hit the ground running in Germany.
The 28-year-old has registered 11 goals and 11 assists (across all competitions) this season and is thriving under the stewardship of Alonso.
The current Leverkusen boss is doing an exceptional job and it’s therefore no surprise to see him being linked with a number of jobs.
It remains to be seen what decision he’ll make in the summer with him currently focussed on ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year stronghold on the Bundelisga title.
He’s already adored by Kopites after a successful playing career on Merseyside and we’d love to see him in the Anfield hot seat next season.
