Former Liverpool Star Xabi Alonso is the Next Borussia Mönchengladbach Manager

During his time at the club, if you’d asked fans and pundits which star Liverpool player was most likely to become a top manager they would have pointed to Xabi Alonso with likely near unanimity.

Instead, when it comes to former Liverpool players in coaching, it’s been Steven Gerrard who has unexpectedly gotten the headlines for a tremendously impressive spell with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Alonso, though, could be set to make up ground on his former teammate following news today that he has agreed to take over for outgoing manager Marco Rose at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer.

It will be Alonso’s first major managerial appointment following time spent coaching Real Madrid’s U14s and Real Sociedad B in the third tier of Spanish football. It is also a rather unexpected appointment.

Alonso’s name hadn’t been one widely considered in the German press as a possibility to take over at Mönchengladbach, and at a glance his resume seems light for taking on a mid-table Bundesliga side.

Still, Alonso always had a reputation as a player with managerial potential, and during his playing days he had the chance to work with Rafa Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola.

With Mönchengladbach, he will get the chance to prove his talents on the touchline for a club that will expect to be safe from relegation and to challenge for the Europa League places in Germany next season.