Liverpool "Will Be Expecting" to Win Title If Xabi Alonso Replaces Jurgen Klopp, Says Rafa Benitez

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez thinks that Xabi Alonso will have a hard job if he replaces Jurgen Klopp this summer.

Klopp announced in January that this season will be his last as Reds boss.

Alonso has since emerged as the overwhelming favorite to fill the role once Klopp leaves.

Alonso has been manager of German side Bayer Leverkusen since October 2022.

Leverkusen have not lost a single game this season and sit eight points clear of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race.

Alonso spent five seasons at Liverpool during his playing career. Benitez was Liverpool's manager in all five of those seasons.

Benitez held Alonso in high regard as a player and is not surprised that he has since gone into management.

Speaking to The Times this week, Benitez said: "You could think he was going to be a coach because he was clever and analyzed things."

Xabi Alonso pictured lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in May 2005 after Liverpool beat AC Milan in a famous final

IMAGO/Buzzi

Benitez has been impressed by what Alonso has done so far in his managerial career - which began with Real Sociedad B in June 2019.

However, he fears that Alonso's success at Leverkusen could result in expectations being set unreasonably high if he goes to Liverpool.

He added: "With social media everything is going too fast [in the world] so that people don't analyze and don't see the big picture.

"I can understand why [Alonso is being hyped], because he's doing really well with Leverkusen and it's a big name, good professional, good lad, clever.

"But imagine that [Steven] Gerrard could be around and doing well. Then it would be 'Gerrard!'

"I think big names as a player have an advantage. He was in the academy, then the second team at Real Sociedad. That gives you some experience and then he went to Germany.

"It's not easy to go to a new country and be successful, so he has done well. He has the potential to be a very good manager and if he has good players he will be successful, but then can he do it for five years, ten years? I don't know.

"He can go to any top side now but they will be expecting to win the title. And if you finish second, maybe it's a great season but people will say, 'Oh, he's failed.'"