Short of Ancelotti getting fired midseason, I suspect he will leave Leverkusen before either of those jobs comes up naturally. It feels like the sort of place where an up and coming manager can outstay their time there - have a great season, get the bones of the squad picked bare, do well to replace those players lost but after enough cycles they eventually get it wrong and struggle the following season. It feels he needs to needs to leave before that part of the cycle kicks in, and he may need a stepping stone type role to achieve that…or even or even end up somewhere like City or Chelsea first.
Yeah, I’d see Man City as a stepping stone on his way to managing us 
Bayern job comes up every year it feels.
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It’s probably way too soon for him but in my view he is really the only one I’d want to see.
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I don’t really see any other candidates.
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Not to soon.
Said this before that he is so good that I’d take him without first team experience.
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Fair enough. Personally he was my choice for once Klopp went though I expected this would be a couple of years from now.
He is still my choice, I do think we have to gamble we aren’t going be able to replace Klopp and so a relatively fresh face who has exceeded expectations in his career and who is a former player and has unfinished business here is probably perfect choice.
Also his lad supports us.
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I’d be over the moon with Xabi,anyone else would look like a second choice.
Anyway…we will see!
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Ancelotti recently announced an extension to 2026 at Real Madrid. This is a bit conspiracy theory ish, but here’s what may have happened:
Klopp told the board a couple of months ago he was leaving at the end of the season.
This prompted a fight between Liverpool and Real Madrid to procure the services of Xabi Alonso for next year onwards.
Liverpool won that tussle, Alonso agreed to come.
Ancelotti signs a new deal at Madrid to tide them over.
Xabi Alonso gets his head down and carries on giving his all to Leverkusen - is right, as they are a good club with their own significant story unfolding this season.
As soon as the Klopp news is announced, Alonso is asked about it in his presser for their game against Monchengladbach.
He plays it respectfully, and with a straight bat, with full focus on the job in hand, as expected.
We will see, but I think something like this has gone down.
FIFY
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Xabi Alonso in 2017 on which club he preferred out of Bayern, Madrid and Liverpool:
“I would say Liverpool. It was strange because I thought I’d feel at home in Madrid due to it being my country but compared to Liverpool it wasn’t. Liverpool is like my 2nd home.”
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No mention of Munich?
Alonso is by far the favourite to succeed Klopp, at the bookies, in the press and amongst the fans.
There are a couple of questions about him though:
1, Experience as a trainer - two seasons at Leverkusen and, as yet, no trophies isn’t much of a basis for taking over one of the top clubs in the world. Xabi has tons of experience as a player at the highest level and we’d all hope that this will stand him in good stead.
2, Will he want to come? Probably, yes, it’s a big step up, but he may also feel it’s too soon and that he wants to finish the job he’s started at BL. Will the prospect of filling Jürgen’s boots be too daunting?
3, Is he too nice? He seems like a thoroughly decent bloke. Will he have enough of the yard dog to deal with the media, agents, referees etc etc?
4, Will he be constantly linked with Real Madrid? It could be very disruptive if every time RM lose he is touted as their next trainer. There will be an automatic media narrative that we are just a stepping stone on the way to Spain.
That said, I really want him to come. He was always a favourite player of mine and he is, after all, an Istanbul hero. He understands the club and will have an immediate connection with the fans. He’ll inherit a fantastic team which is yet to fulfill its potential.
There is no other candidate who comes near.
Well it’s about only 16 months and he is still very much in every cup going still this season.
is he Welsh?
It’s missing a y
maybe a L