Pep and Xabi, together at last

Posted Saturday, August 30, 2014 by Marca.com

Xabi Alonso's move to Bayern Munich was a year in the making. Its roots can be traced back to September last year, when Josep Guardiola first had doubts about his side's ability to control games.

Pep has always favoured fielding a single midfield linchpin who is at once a playmaker and an enforcer; an inch-perfect passer who holds his position and sets the stage for others to shine. There aren't many players who fit this bill and one obvious candidate, Sergio Busquets, was clearly unattainable. So was Xabi, but things changed.

The groundwork for the transfer began being laid in October 2013, when Pep sounded out the Bayern higher-ups about Alonso, but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness were unconvinced.

The subject remained under discussion until Christmas and on Boxing Day, a non-committal Rummenigge tried to lure Xabi over the phone. But the Basqueman had his heart set on winning the 'Decima' with Real Madrid and decided to renew his contract for a further two years.

Guardiola's first season at the Allianz Arena only reinforced his deep-seated beliefs about the ideal central midfielder and he gushed about Philipp Lahm, whose conversion into an anchorman was a roaring success.

Nevertheless, the shellacking by 'Los Blancos' in the Champions League confirmed Pep's worst fears: his team were found wanting in many areas, but the lack of poise and balance was particularly conspicuous. Add to this Toni Kroos's departure and a spate of midfield injuries and it is easy to see why Alonso's name resurfaced.

Xabi, meanwhile, went into this season shrouded in uncertainty. Though he felt valued, he was no longer a nailed-on first choice at the Bernabéu. Guardiola came calling again and told the veteran how desperately he was needed. It was the perfect time to embark on one last challenge in his career.