'He has a lot of passion' - Xabi Alonso's biggest coaching strengths outlined by Alejandro Grimaldo amid stunning start to Bundesliga season

• Grimaldo praised Alonso
• Revealed the Spaniard's strengths
• Leverkusen top of Bundesliga table

WHAT HAPPENED? Grimaldo, who joined Bayer Leverkusen from Benfica this summer, is enjoying a purple patch in Germany having scored seven goals and provided five assists in 15 matches for the club across all competitions thus far.

The Spanish full-back is enjoying his time under Xabi Alonso's coaching and praised the manager's passion for the game and his ability to successfully communicate his ideas to the players.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to Marca, Grimaldo said: "He has a lot of passion. For Xabi, every training session and every detail is important. And then there is the way he conveys his ideas. He knows how to make the players understand everything he has in his head and gives them confidence. That is key for footballers to know what they have to do and for them to be loose and calm."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 41-year-old manager has had a very successful stint with the German club since joining them in October 2022. After guiding the club to a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga last season, he has now managed to keep the team at the top of the league table in the ongoing campaign with 28 points from the first 10 matches.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? The former Real Madrid star has been tipped to return to Los Blancos at the end of the current season as he is being considered as one of the candidates to replace Carlo Ancelotti as head coach in 2024. Other teams like Bayern Munich and Liverpool are also being linked with a move for the 41-year-old.