Alonso praised after dominating first win

Sporting Director Simon Rolfes and midfielder Robert Andrich discussed their thoughts after Xabi Alonso’s first game in charge of a top flight club.

With some excellent play from the likes of Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong, Leverkusen breezed right through Schalke on Saturday afternoon. Sporting Director Simon Rolfes waxed lyricals about how their trainer is coping brilliantly in his new position:
“(Xabi Alonso) has won everything there is to win, the players know that. He also has the right skills and a passion for the job. It was already seen in the first few days that he always gives the boys little tips to make them better.”

Midfielder Robert Andrich said Alonso has a “big aura” and added that, “Above all, the exploitation of our chances was improved. We had a better allocation in the spaces. – You can already see the changes tactically. (Alonso) delivered his message very efficiently and spoke very well to the lads.”

Proficient in German, while also fluent in English and Spanish, Alonso seemed to interchange between languages when speaking to his players individually throughout the game. Following the match, he shared his interest to already shift the focus to their rematch against Porto on Wednesday:

“The game against Porto is very important for us. We still have all the chances to reach the knockout phase. But we need the three points for not being under too much pressure in the last two games.”

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