Xabi Alonso is the talk of the town in Germany and Liverpool.
The Bayer Leverkusen boss has his team seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Xabi Alonso is top of the Bundesliga and is the man connected with replacing Jurgen Klopp.But what about the man away from football?
This has set them on track for their first Bundesliga title in their 120-year history.
Alonso’s inventive and appealing football style has earned him a solid coaching reputation.
Whether he is the right guy to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield remains to be seen, as there are plenty of other options to examine.
But what about the man away from the pitch and the tactical board?
The couple married in 2009, a month before Alonso left Liverpool to join Real Madrid.
They met when Alonso was still a youngster, playing for his hometown club Real Sociedad.
Alonso and Nagore have three children together: Jontxe (born 2008), Ane (born 2010), and Emma (born 2013).
Xabi Alonso married his wife, Nagore Aranburu, in 2009. They initially met when Alonso was a kid with Real Sociedad.
Nagore has experience as a model, actress, and fashion designer.
But one amusing story occurred while she was working as a hotel receptionist in Liverpool.
Peter Crouch, a former Reds ace and Alonso teammate, recounted his first meeting with Nagore.
Crouch described his love-at-first-sight emotion after meeting Nagore, before Liverpool teammates including Jamie Carragher informed him that she was dating Alonso.
He stated, “After signing with Liverpool, I stayed at the Hope Street Hotel.
“On reception, there was a girl who was so attractive that I couldn’t believe she was constantly smiling at me.
The couple has three children together.Despite their busy work schedules, they always make time to spend days out together. “I told the lads in training, ‘honestly, she’s beautiful, I think I’ve got a shout here.'” Jamie Carragher summoned a few other senior players, ‘Tell them again, Crouchie.’
“So I said, ‘Amazing. Dark-haired. Spanish-looking. I am in there. It turned out that she was Xabi Alonso’s partner.
“She was doing some work to improve her language skills. He was pleasant about it. So was she. Carra, less so.”
Despite their busy schedules, Alonso and Nagore have always made time for one other.
While at Bayern Munich, Alonso and Nagore were common sights at Oktoberfest celebrations.
Following Alonso’s retirement from football in 2017, the two were photographed taking a walk on the beach during a family vacation in California.
Alonso has also disclosed that the couple enjoys visiting museums and going on mountain drives with their family.
Alonso and Nagore were frequently spotted at Oktoberfest events.Alonso mentioned that his family used to enjoy mountain automobile drives.
Petrolheads and models
Perhaps it is a reflection of his smooth playing style, but whenever Alonso is photographed in a car, it is of immaculate design.
His dress taste is also consistent.
Alonso enjoys driving antique beamers, as seen by a number of Instagram images in which he can be seen driving a range of classic automobiles.
During his visit in Munich, Alonso modeled for Porsche and Adidas as they unveiled the Porsche Design Sport SS17 and sportswear collections.
Alonso models for the launch of Adidas Porsche Design Sport SS17.Xabi Alonso and his partner, Nagore AranburuAlonso and Nagore live the high life.Adidas Porsche Design Sport SS17, with Xabi Alonso and wife Nagore AranburuThe pair, here modeling for Adidas Porsche Design Sport SS17, truly are the model couple.
When he went to training, he drove a pretty unassuming Audi instead of his vintage Mercedes 190 SL convertible.
Estimates for that car today range from £70,000 to £166,000.
In an interview with Mr Porter, Alonso, who has been compared to James Bond, is pictured driving a Porsche 356 and not looking out of place.
Alonso can’t handle the notion of having tattoos on his body.
In a 2016 interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Alonso stated, “They [friends] realize they have no chance with me.
“By the way, I’m not against tattoos in principle. This may seem cool on others.
“But not for me.” I can’t image myself wearing piercings, chains, or anything else. Obviously, I am hopelessly old-fashioned.”
Alonso has always promoted a streamlined fashion sense.He can’t get behind tattoos on his body.
Alonso is also fed up with the notion that footballers have poor taste in music and television shows, stating: “It’s an unending cliché that sportsmen lack taste.
“I believe that’s quite unjust. But I’m used to it now.
He has previously praised hit shows such as True Detective and Fargo, calling them “masterpieces,” while also revealing bands he has listened to.
Some examples are the Shins, the Flaming Lips, the Delgados, the Velvet Underground, and Lou Reed.
Special moments are like watch links.
Despite his generally sophisticated demeanor, Alonso rarely dresses to impress.
But when he does, he goes all out, and watches are the pinnacle of his collection.
Alonso has compared significant events in his life and career to links in a watch.
He told the newspaper: “For me, every special moment is bound to be linked to a particular watch, and whenever I put it on I’m transported back to that moment – such as when we won the Champions League with Liverpool or the World Cup with Spain.”
Jurgen Klopp’s successor?
By Dan King.
Xabi Alonso checks practically every box to succeed Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, and if Bayer Leverkusen does not lose their advantage at the top of the Bundesliga, the argument for him will be compelling.
After five seasons at Anfield, the former Kop idol knows the club inside and out and has made no secret of his long-held passion.
Alonso has already established a reputation as an inventive coach who employs an appealing, pressing style, typically in a fluid 3-4-2-1 configuration.
He has led Leverkusen from second-bottom in the Bundesliga to seven points clear at the top, putting them on track to become German champions for the first time in their 120-year history.
It’s worth noting that both Rafa Benitez and Klopp arrived at Anfield with proof they could dethrone clubs that dominated their leagues.
Alonso’s ability to achieve this in only his second season as a top-flight manager would distinguish him as something remarkable.
Appointing him to replace Klopp would still be a gamble due to his lack of long-term experience.
But, in other ways, he appears to be the ideal choice as Liverpool prepares for life without the man who led them to England, Europe, and the world championship.
IWC Steel Ingenieur Automatic 40, £10,500, comparable to the one Alonso was given.Xabi Alonso in London, September 2022.
His watch collection includes Rolex, Patek Philippe, Franck Muller, Audemars Piguet, and Panerai, however, he has no desire to flaunt such accessories for fear of appearing vulgar.
However, his favorite and most special watch in his collection was a gift from Nagora on their wedding day: an IWC Ingenieur valued at £10,500, according to Watches of Switzerland.
For Alonso, the gorgeous watch “represents the fact that I had found a woman who thought about me, what I liked and my personality.”
“I don’t wear it much, just on really special occasions.”
Alonso likes IWC watches in general because “they’re not overly showy, attention-grabbing watches” and “have a certain sophistication without being flashy”.
An age-old adage states: “You can tell a lot about a man from the shoes he’s wearing and the watch he has on.”
And it appears that Alonso’s actions are characterized by simple yet exquisite efficiency.
Alonso and Nagore living the high life
