Jose Mourinho: How AS Roma Boss Correctly Predicted the Future of Ex Liverpool Icon Xabi Alonso

• Jose Mourinho foreknew Xabi Alonso would impress as a coach three years before the Spaniard took up his role as Bayer Leverkusen boss
• Alonso continues to excel in the dugout after calling time on his playing career in 2017
• The ex-pupil of Mourinho will go up against his former teacher with a place in the Europa League final at stake

Footage of AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho accurately predicting the future of Xabi Alonso has resurfaced online after the latter guided Bayer Leverkusen to the last four of the Europa League.

Alonso has dramatically turned the situation around at Leverkusen, moving the club from 17th to sixth position and fighting to finish in the Champions League places all within five months.

Aside from his domestic heroics, the former Liverpool midfielder punched a ticket in the semi-final of the Europa League after thrashing Belgian side Union St.Gilloise 4-1, TNN reports.

Raheem Sterling claims he shares a funny similarity to Eden Hazard

Football

Following his impressive run of results, a clip of iconic Portuguese trainer Jose Mourinho predicting Alonso to become a coach has resurfaced.

In 2019, Mourinho drew similarities between himself and his former pupil before hinting Alonso has all the makings of a manager at a conference held by Top Eleven.

“His father was a manager, so he grew up similar to me. Then he became a player – of course, much better than I was," he said, as quoted by SportBIBLE.

“He became a player, a top player. His position on the pitch and his knowledge of the game – very high.

“He played in Spain, in England and in Germany. And he was coached by Guardiola with Bayern, by myself in Real Madrid, by Ancelotti in Real Madrid, by Benitez in Liverpool.”

Guardiola compares Haaland to Messi, Ronaldo after stunning bicycle kick

Football

Mourinho continued: “So, I think if you put all this together, Xabi has the conditions to be a very good coach.”

Here is the video:

Mourinho trolls Dutch journalist

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho recently left social media in stitches after a press room antic involving a Dutch journalist.

It almost looked like Feyenoord had found a late winner in the 80th minute through Igor Paixao, but Paolo Dybala forced the game into extra time with a strike in the dying minutes of the game.

In the post-match presser afterwards, the Special One handed what looked like a keychain to one of the journalists as a reminder that his team had beaten Feyenoord last year as well.