When it comes to talented coaches in European football, there are a few questions of reference. Jürgen Klopp leads a dynamic and impactful team at Liverpool. Carlo Ancelotti oversees an imperious, star-studded Real Madrid. On the periphery, Unai Emery brings his tactical experience to Aston Villa, while the passionate Diego Simeone continues to motivate his Atletico Madrid side thirteen seasons after settling on their first 11.
Then the natural choice: Pep Guardiola. Manchester City’s composer is a perfectionist whose teams, bolstered by abundant funding, are the most productive with a dominant style based on possession. He won 16 trophies in England, accumulated at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, where his first concepts took shape.
Another coaching icon, Roma manager Jose Mourinho, has noted that his positive predictions about the next influential coach date back to recent times. The character you have in mind? Xabi Alonso has played in Spain, England and Germany. He was coached by Guardiola at Bayern, by me and by Ancelotti at Real Madrid, by Benitez at Liverpool,” Mourinho said. “If you put it all together, I think Xabi has the necessary situations to be a very intelligent coach. “
He has done that, and much more, since Mourinho published his article. And while the real accolades are yet to come, this seems to be just the beginning.
Unlike Guardiola’s vast collection of trophies, Alonso’s number of trophies on the touchline is zero. Still, that’s about to be replaced the longer it stays in the game. His current team, Bayer Leverkusen, the top of the Bundesliga table, looks less sensible this season. .
Adopting a 3-4-3 formation, they are the only unbeaten team in Europe’s most sensible leagues (if you exclude PSV Eindhoven’s best record in the Netherlands), they are firm in defence and a risk in the attacking third. Brick by brick, those teams are helping him break down a colossal wall on the continent: Bayern Munich’s streak of 11 consecutive years as German league champions.
To reach this point, Alonso has morphed a side dicing with relegation into a fierce competitor, a winning animal. “I knew the potential the team had. You get to know the players, starting to create some confidence and commitment from them. That’s the manager’s job,” he told The Guardian in December, shortly before the winter break.
Therein lies the crux. The fact that Alonso has essentially torn up the scrapbook and reinvented a team in 15 months suggests he is more than just a solid coach, but someone with a steadfast philosophy. And not only from a tactical perspective but as a leader to convincingly deliver those messages to his squad. He’s spoken about those who led him, carrying a certain aura when entering a room, and it seems his knowledge and charisma are rubbing off on his willing players.
Having a steady soccer background helps Alonso’s cause. The 42-year-old hails from Gipuzkoa, Spain’s smallest province, a Basque Country catchment area that has given birth to an extraordinary number of successful coaches, such as Emery, Mikel Arteta, Andoni Iraola, Julen Lopetegui, and Imanol Alguacil—the latter managing Real Sociedad, where Alonso began his playing career and later cut his teeth as a coach with the second-string team. Guardiola was the same, although his home and grounding was the Barcelona system.
Alonso’s appreciation for the game began in Toulouse, in Spain’s Basque Country.
Alonso’s continued rise comes as some club forums experiment with retired soccer stars as coaches. In the UK in particular, it is increasingly understood that, even if Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and their “golden generation” were on the pitch, that does not guarantee an eminence as coaches, as many struggle to develop their talented previous exploits. Leverkusen, on the other hand, won gold with Alonso. A central midfielder capable of feeling the entire pitch around him, he has now incorporated his learnings and applied them.
When it comes to football in general, it also shows that the most productive investment groups can make is in a coach. The way Leverkusen won the title may lead sporting director Simon Rolfes to prepare big deals for his brightest talents in the transfer market. Thanks to Alonso, they were able to make a lot of money for the team. And, in any case, his growing reputation for progressing young people means he wouldn’t possibly have to spend millions of dollars on replacements to win in the future. , the character that propels them forward, is the key.
I’m a journalist covering the intersection of sports, business, and technology. My article has appeared in CNBC. com, The Hockey News, and Narrative. I started this adventure covering a handful of New Jersey Devils stranded in Albany in 2012. NHL lockout, with sprint stops by the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers. I graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where I majored in sports media.
I’m a journalist covering the intersection of sports, business, and technology. My article has appeared in CNBC. com, The Hockey News, and Narrative. I started this adventure covering a handful of New Jersey Devils stranded in Albany in 2012. NHL lockout, with sprint stops by the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers. I graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where I majored in sports media.
I’m a foreign relations professional and I love running and writing about football. I’ve trained competitively in the U. S. I trained in the U. S. and Spain and was a volunteer coach in South America. Currently, I am a research analyst for London Politica, which covers geopolitical affairs and freelance editor of Glory Magazine, an independent UK football and magazine. I also volunteer for the sustainability organization Fossil Free Football. My master’s thesis on using football as a tool to achieve comfortable strength was published in 2022 through the Aga Khan Online Paper Series. Since then, various organizations have published paintings on football and sustainable development. I live on the east coast of the United States, but I have strong ties to Spain and European football from having lived and painted there.
I’m a foreign relations professional and I love running and writing about football. I’ve trained competitively in the U. S. I trained in the U. S. and Spain and was a volunteer coach in South America. Currently, I am a research analyst for London Politica, which covers geopolitical affairs and freelance editor of Glory Magazine, an independent UK football and magazine. I also volunteer for the sustainability organization Fossil Free Football. My master’s thesis on using football as a tool to achieve comfortable strength was published in 2022 through the Aga Khan Online Paper Series. Since then, various organizations have published paintings on football and sustainable development. I live on the east coast of the United States, but I have strong ties to Spain and European football from having lived and painted there.
Real-life attorney with experience in public finance, economic development, and national and local taxes.
I have been covering the Houston Rockets since 2009 at Red94.net, formerly ESPN.com’s TrueHoop Network Houston Rockets affiliate.
Attorney in real life with concentration upon Public Finance, Economic Development, and State and Local Tax.
I have been the Houston Rockets since 2009 on Red94. net, formerly affiliated with ESPN. com’s TrueHoop Network Houston Rockets.
Based in Barcelona since 2019 after six years in São Paulo, I have written extensively on those topics through previews and research, while also covering fit reports for tournaments like the Copa América. In addition to writing for Forbes Sports, I edit Yellow
Based in Barcelona since 2019 after six years in São Paulo, I have written on these topics at length through previews and analysis while having also covered match reports for tournaments such as the Copa America. As well as writing for Forbes Sports, I edit Yellow & Green Football: a site on Brazilian soccer that is part of the Guardian Sport Network and a partner of O Globo.
Based in Barcelona since 2019 after six years in São Paulo, I have written extensively on those topics through advancements and research, while also covering preparation reports for tournaments such as the Copa America. In addition to writing for Forbes Sports, I edit Yellow
Based in Barcelona since 2019 after six years in São Paulo, I have written on these topics at length through previews and analysis while having also covered match reports for tournaments such as the Copa America. As well as writing for Forbes Sports, I edit Yellow & Green Football: a site on Brazilian soccer that is part of the Guardian Sport Network and a partner of O Globo.
I’ve covered the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball since the Diamondbacks were given a franchise in 1995; They started betting in 1998. I am a member of the BBWAA and a Hall of Fame inductee, and I was on the staff in 2015. The 2016 World Series and 2017. Si baseball has been my biggest focus recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover other occasions in my long career as a journalist. I covered the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 1993 NBA Finals between Chicago and Phoenix. and coached 4 Super Bowls, 4 NCAA Football National Championship games, and 4 NCAA Final Fours. I won a national award from the Associated Press for an article about Mary Lou Retton’s gold medal at the 1984 Olympics.
I’ve covered the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball since the Diamondbacks were given a franchise in 1995; They started betting in 1998. I am a member of the BBWAA and a Hall of Fame inductee, and I was on the staff in 2015. The 2016 World Series and 2017. Si baseball has been my biggest focus recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover other occasions in my long career as a journalist. I covered the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 1993 NBA Finals between Chicago and Phoenix. and coached 4 Super Bowls, 4 NCAA Football National Championship games, and 4 NCAA Final Fours. I won a national award from the Associated Press for an article about Mary Lou Retton’s gold medal at the 1984 Olympics.
I’ve written articles on cricket for Wisden. com and ESPNCricinfo, as well as Cricket365, which was once part of a network of sports facilities owned by BSkyB (now Sky). I’ve been covering the daily Ashes series reports for C365.
I also make a contribution to Planet Sport and have published opinion pieces for Tennis365, adding to the questionable plans to expand the Wimbledon Championships. Living near this prominent location, I am very interested in the history of the oldest tennis tournament.
I have written for the long-running football magazine FourFourTwo and am working freelance for Goalkeeper.com, a site that deep dives into the specific challenges of the loneliest position in sport.
I’ve written articles on cricket for Wisden. com and ESPNCricinfo, as well as Cricket365, which was once part of a network of sports facilities owned by BSkyB (now Sky). I’ve been covering the daily Ashes series reports for C365.
I also contribute to Planet Sport and have posted numerous opinion pieces for Tennis365 including the controversial plans to expand the Wimbledon Championships. As a resident near the famous site, I have a keen interest in the history of the oldest tennis major.
I have written for the long-running football magazine FourFourTwo and am working freelance for Goalkeeper.com, a site that deep dives into the specific challenges of the loneliest position in sport.
I use insights and analytics to examine baseball, adding player and team performance on the field, off-field transactions, and issues of hard work. In addition to Forbes. com, I contribute to Baseball Flyer, Off the Bench Baseball, and other online publications. My paintings have been published in print for Baseball Prospectus and the American Baseball Research Society (SABR). I’m co-director of the Internet Baseball Writers’ Association of America and direct Here’s the Pitch: The IBWAA newsletter. In 2020, I am a finalist for the SABR Analytics Research Award. In addition, I am a special education instructor at an elementary school in New Jersey, president of the Somerset County Education Association, and drummer for The Subway Ghosts.
I use insights and analytics to examine baseball, adding player and team performance on the field, off-field transactions, and issues of hard work. In addition to Forbes. com, I contribute to Baseball Flyer, Off the Bench Baseball, and other online publications. My paintings have been published in print for Baseball Prospectus and the American Society for Baseball Research (SABR). I’m co-director of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and direct Here’s the Pitch: The IBWAA newsletter. In 2020, I am a finalist for the SABR Analytics Research Award. In addition, I am a special education instructor at an elementary school in New Jersey, president of the Somerset County Education Association, and drummer for The Subway Ghosts.
Karen Weaver is a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, which is ranked number one in the country by U. S. News and World Reports.
He directs a certificate program at Penn GSE for higher education executives who are adapting to the demanding 21st century situations in school athletics.
She is an expert on college sports as they intersect with senior management in education, media, and policy. His forthcoming book, “Money, Power, Politics: What Senior Campus Leaders Need to Know about College Athletics,” will be published through Johns Hopkins Press. in 2024.
She spent 14 years in the Big Ten Conference as a coach and administrator. He led his team to the 1986 NCAA Division III National Field Hockey Championship (21-0). In addition, she served as the NCAA Division III Athletics Administrator. .
Dr. Weaver has earned honors and nominations during her years in collegiate athletics.
Karen Weaver is a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, which is ranked number one in the country by U. S. News and World Reports.
He directs a certification program at Penn GSE for higher education executives who are adapting to the demanding situations of the 21st century in scholastic athletics.
She is an expert on college sports as they intersect with senior management in education, media, and policy. His forthcoming book, “Money, Power, Politics: What Senior Campus Leaders Need to Know about College Athletics,” will be published through Johns Hopkins Press. in 2024.
She spent 14 years in the Big Ten Conference as a coach and administrator. He led his team to the 1986 NCAA Division III National Field Hockey Championship (21-0). In addition, she served as the NCAA Division III Athletics Administrator. .
Dr. Weaver has earned honors and nominations during her years in collegiate athletics.