We've compered Jurgen Klopp's Bundesliga record with Xabi Alonso's.
Xabi Alonso is the hot favourite to take over at Liverpool next season, but how does his Bundesliga record compare with Jurgen Klopp’s?
The Spanish coach has done a tremendous job with Bayer Leverkusen and it’s probably fair to say that he is the most sought-after manager in Europe right now.
Along with Liverpool, Bayern Munich are also doing their best to prize Alonso out of Leverkusen. The 42-year-old has close connections with both clubs, having previously played for each of them in his playing days.
Alonso himself would be a great addition to the Premier League and his slick style of play would be a treat to watch at Anfield. Given how quickly he’s transitioned into management, it’s no wonder that so many sides are sniffing around.
From an outside perspective, he seems like the ideal successor to Klopp, but what do the stats say? We’ve taken a closer look at both managers and have compared their records in the Bundesliga to one another.
Jurgen Klopp’s Bundesliga record
Games: 340
Won: 162
Drawn: 84
Lost: 94
Win percentage: 47.6%
Points per game: 1.67
Goals per game: 1.76
Goals against per game: 1.19
In total, Klopp spent 10 seasons managing in the Bundesliga. Three of those campaigns came with Mainz 05 and the other seven with Borussia Dortmund.
Context is important when comparing Klopp and Alonso as they have both been tasked with different jobs. During Klopp’s time with Mainz for example, the primary objective was to avoid relegation.
Klopp guided Mainz to two consecutive 11th-placed finishes before the club was then relegated in 2006/07. While his time with Mainz does drag his overall Bundesliga record down, it is important to recognise in the context of these numbers.
From 2008-2015, he then took the reins at Dortmund where he quickly grew his reputation. Klopp won five trophies during his spell at Signal Iduna Park, including two league titles.
The highest point tally that Klopp ever achieved in the Bundesliga was 81 in the 2011/12 campaign. For context, Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side are currently projected to finish the season with 90 points.
Given the context surrounding his stints with Mainz and Dortmund, an average of 1.67 points per game isn’t bad going – but how does his record compare to Alonso’s?
Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga record
Games: 49
Won: 32
Drawn: 10
Lost: 7
Win percentage: 65.3%
Points per game: 2.16
Goals per game: 2.18
Goals against per game: 1.0
When stacking the two records up against one another, Alonso beats Klopp in virtually every metric. Of course, Alonso’s numbers are taken from a much smaller sample size which has to be taken into consideration.
Since taking the Leverkusen job last season, Alonso has averaged a whopping 2.18 points per game in the Bundesliga which is highly impressive. Over a full season, 2.18 points per game would get you 74 points in the Bundesliga.
The Spanish boss took the job in October 2022 when Leverkusen were languishing in the relegation zone and he’s since turned them into serious title contenders.
In the German top flight, Alonso boasts a win percentage of 65.3% which is significantly better than Klopp’s win percentage of 47.6%. Alonso’s side also tend to score more goals and concede less than Klopp’s men did in the Bundesliga.
As things stand, Leverkusen are projected to finish this season with 90 points which is only one point shy of a Bundesliga record.
Impressively, Alonso’s side could make history this year by becoming the first club to ever win the Bundesliga, Europa League and DFB-Pokal in the same season. That would be some achievement.
Liverpool fans looking at those sorts of numbers will no doubt be very excited over the prospect of Alonso joining the club. Even Klopp himself has given the Spaniard his seal of approval.
“Xabi is doing an incredible job,” Klopp told the media earlier this month. “The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is standout in that department.
“[He is a] former world-class player, from a coaching family as well which helps a little, he was like a coach already when he was playing. The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did, it is absolutely exceptional.”
The stats certainly make for interesting reading and back up the idea that Alonso is indeed the natural heir to Klopp at Anfield.
