Former Roma boss Jose Mourinho lauds ex-pupil's achievements as 'Something Special' with Bundesliga Champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Jose Mourinho has praised his former player, Xabi Alonso, lauding the Bayer Leverkusen head coach for his "extraordinary" achievements in guiding the club to a historic Bundesliga title triumph this season.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea manager spoke glowingly about Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella’s coach during an exclusive with Football.com as monitored by Pulse Sports Nigeria.
See how Super Eagles of Nigeria stars Victor Boniface and Chidera Ejuke posed with their expensive cars.
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United still have players he deemed unprofessional from his time at the club.
Alonso's Extraordinary Feats
Writing in the column, Mourinho was effusive in his admiration for the job Alonso has done at the BayArena after leading the Werkself to a first-ever Bundesliga title unbeaten..
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and acknowledge how happy I was to see Xabi Alonso, a friend, a former player of mine, a fantastic young man, succeeding in Germany," Mourinho said.
"Unlike a lot of coaches of the new generations who are considered great without having done anything special, this one can be classed as a great coach because he has done something extraordinary."
Mourinho's Leverkusen Memories
The Portuguese also reflected on Roma's Europa League encounters with Leverkusen last season, when his side eliminated the team in the semi-finals of UEFA’s second-tier club competition.
"When Roma eliminated Bayer Leverkusen last season with a win and a draw, without conceding a goal, and qualified for the Europa League final, this was indeed a great achievement because, if I'm not mistaken, this may have been Leverkusen's last defeat."
Alonso's Fairy-Tale Campaign
Mourinho's glowing tribute comes on the back of Alonso masterminding one of the most remarkable underdog stories in recent memory, leading Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga crown.
The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder has overseen a fairy-tale campaign at the BayArena, with his charges dethroning perennial champions Bayern Munich without losing a single game.
Alonso and his champions still have four matches to play in the Bundesliga and remain in the hunt for an unprecedented treble with the DFB-Pokal final and Europa League still to fight for.
Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen netted another late goal to earn a share of the spoils, with VAR saving Victor Boniface in a dramatic match against Borussia Dortmund.
Nigeria's Victor Boniface says it has always been clear to him that playing football is what he wanted to do, and he never doubted himself.
Bayern Munich continue to search for Thomas Tuchel's replacement after failing to land top target Xabi Alonso. Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Ragnick said to be of keen interest.
Nigerian duo Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella will join Bayer Leverkusen to face AS Roma in the UEL semifinals.
Bayer Leverkusen's exceptional season reached a new high as they set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in European history
Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface has become an instant fan favourite, declaring himself the "funniest guy" at the club.
Nigeria and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface is happy with his nomination for the Bundesliga Team of the Season.
Nigeria's Victor Boniface and his Bayer Leverkusen side remain in contention for a treble this season after a 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Europa League quarterfinals, extending their unbeaten run to 44 matches across all competitions.
Like Osimhen, Boniface celebrated Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga title in style, paying for a custom diamond piece to serve as a tribute to his late mom.
The Leverkusen city council is exploring ways of bestowing a major honour of Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso after he delivered the club’s first ever Bundesliga title on Sunday.
After the success stories of Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen with Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface, fans have urged Arsenal to sign a Nigerian striker to help them win the Premier League
Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh has made a bold Victor Boniface prediction after he led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic Bundesliga win.
The Bundesliga champions have cemented their legacy as one of the best teams in Europe with their unbeaten run
The celebrations have already begun in Germany as the Super Eagles star kissed his Norwegian partner to celebrate Leverkusen’s historic title.
Xabi Alonso has become a Bayer Leverkusen legend after his latest exploits with the Bundesliga club