02 February 2024 , 23:51
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Roberto De Zerbi has given his verdict on the work manager Xabi Alonso is doing at Bayer Leverkusen, with both De Zerbi and Alonso currently being linked with the Liverpool job.
Jurgen Klopp announced he will step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, and De Zerbi and Alonso are among the early favourites to replace him. Alonso is currently the frontrunner, with his Bayer Leverkusen side top of the Bundesliga and two points clear of Bayern Munich.
Alonso also enjoyed a glittering playing career that included five years at Anfield where he helped Liverpool win the Champions League and the FA Cup. And De Zerbi has been impressed by Alonso's coaching career so far, with the Spaniard spending three years in charge of Real Sociedad's B team before taking charge of Leverkusen and transforming them into title challengers.
"He is doing an extraordinary job," De Zerbi said in an interview with Cronache Di Spogliatoio, as per Football Italia. "His team plays so well. The style is well-defined. He was already good when coaching Real Sociedad's second team three years ago and he is proving the same in a great club like Bayer Leverkusen."
De Zerbi, meanwhile, has done an excellent job at Brighton since succeeding Graham Potter last season when he left the Amex for an ill-fated spell at Chelsea. Under De Zerbi, Brighton qualified for Europe for the first time in their history with a sixth placed finish in the Premier League.
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The Italian is under contract at Brighton until 2026, but he revealed in December that he was in talks with the club about a new deal. However, when asked about the contract negotiations in the wake of Klopp's announcement, De Zerbi remained tight-lipped about his future.
"No, there is no news," he said. "My focus is just on the last part of the season. We are going to compete and to play a historic part of the season. We compete in the Premier League to reach the same target as last season (qualifying for Europe).
Alonso is among the favourites to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool (Getty Images)"We're going to play the last 16 in the Europa League. We compete in the FA Cup and we remember the defeat last season in Wembley and for it I keep my eye on my team." De Zerbi also paid tribute to Klopp, praising the impact he has had on English football during his time in charge of Liverpool.
"I am very sad, we are losing one of the best coaches in the world," he added. "His personality, I like him because of his energy and character. If he changes leagues it is not a good thing for the Premier League.
"Our work is the best you can do but it is very tough. You need energy, you have to push every day and keep trying to improve. You can't stop your improvement and study. Football is always developing and if you don’t work with the right energy you will lose. But the passion we both show is because we ‘feel’ the football. We are very close in this [regard]."