Fernando Torres has hailed Xabi Alonso, his former teammate, as one of the world’s top managers amid ongoing speculation regarding who will succeed Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool’s manager.
Klopp has confirmed his departure from the managerial role at Liverpool effective the end of the season.
With Alonso’s impressive tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, many speculate that he could be a strong contender for the position.
Alonso’s current team, Bayer Leverkusen, is enjoying an unbeaten run and sits comfortably atop the Bundesliga with a 10-point lead.
Additionally, they have progressed to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal and the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Torres and Alonso shared the pitch at Liverpool for two seasons, and together, they were instrumental in Spain’s triumph at the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
While Alonso’s potential appointment as Klopp’s successor remains uncertain, Torres expressed confidence in his friend’s ability to thrive in his managerial career regardless of the outcome.
“I think he’s doing great, fantastic player and he is already a fantastic manager,” he said.
“He’s a really nice guy, I’ve got a nice friendship with him and I hope for him all the best.
“We have seen in the Sociedad academy he is doing really good things, now you can see he has become one of the best managers in the world. He’s having a fantastic season, not losing a single game and the future is bright for him.”
Torres, who has been managing Atletico Madrid’s Under-19 team since 2021, acknowledges that he still has much to learn before reaching the same managerial level as Alonso.
When asked about the prospect of managing Liverpool in the future, he responded: “This is a big thing, I am just starting, learning and understanding how different it is to be a coach — it’s a completely different thing.”
“Starting from zero, doing the right step — one at a time — I’m trying to be a coach, let’s see if I can do it. But coaching for Liverpool is a different thing, step-by-step.”
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