When Jose Mourinho Paid Tribute to Xabi Alonso With Pep Guardiola Comment

• Jose Mourinho and Xabi Alonso reunited when Roma took on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League
• Alonso played under coach Mourinho during his time at Real Madrid and the two formed a close bond
• Mourinho saw something special in Alonso as a player and knew he would one day be a great coach

There's no arguing that Jose Mourinho is a talented manager.

The AS Roma boss has earned the nickname of 'The Special One' over the years, and he knows how to spot exceptional talent as well.

Mourinho also knew Pep Guardiola would be a great manager, and he had the same feeling about Xabi Alonso.

Alonso, who played under the Portuguese coach at Real Madrid, recently faced off against his former boss in the UEFA Europa League.

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As noted by the Bundesliga website, Mourinho's Roma beat Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final clash. The duo shared an emotional moment before the game, having also shared a close relationship as coach and player.

Mourinho even tipped the former Liverpool star for greatness before he became a manager, comparing him to Manchester City boss, Guardiola, Football Espana reported.

“He has the quality that a metronome should have. I’m sure that when he hangs up his boots, he will be a great coach if he wants to. He reminds me of Pep Guardiola when I had him as a player. He was already a coach on the pitch,” The Special One said.

Alonso is living up to the hype, as his time in the Bundesliga has proved.

Leverkusen were in the relegation zone when the former Madrid midfielder was hired to take charge of the team, and are now fighting for a spot in Europe next season, AS noted.

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Alonso and Mourinho reunite

Mourinho and Alonso reunited emotionally when the two met during the semi-final of the Europa League on May 11, Sports Brief also reported.

Alonso took his Leverkusen side to Stadio Olimpico for the first leg, looking to stop Mourinho's Roma from reaching back-to-back European finals.

Mourinho guided the Giallorossi to UEFA Conference League triumph last season on its inaugural edition and manager to advance again.