According to reports, Xabi Alonso has accomplished many impossible missions in his career. His latest was winning two trophies in one season with Bayer Leverkusen, a first in the German club’s history. But his first impossible mission dates back many years.

During his playing days, Alonso managed to get two old rivals, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, to agree on one thing: that he would become a great coach in the future.

Xabi is one of the few players who played under both Mourinho and Guardiola. Guardiola recently praised Xabi, revealing that he knew from the start that he would become a great coach. Guardiola said:“Anyone who worked with Xabi as a player knew this boy would one day become a great coach. I had no doubt.”

Guardiola added:“Xabi’s impact on Leverkusen has been incredible. Going to Germany and competing shoulder-to-shoulder with Bayern Munich is always tough. They were unbeaten all last season until losing to Atalanta in the Europa League final.”

But Guardiola wasn’t the only one who recognized Xabi’s coaching talent. Mourinho, who coached Xabi at Real Madrid, said:“Players usually don’t like to play the coach’s role. Even when they’re playing, they run away from the idea of becoming a coach one day. But this boy, Xabi, was different. I always tell the boys to take courses and get licenses because they might want to coach one day. One day I said this, and then I said, ‘I know you’re all running away from the idea right now,’ and Xabi turned around and said, ‘No, no, I’d love to.’ From that moment, in training and matches, I knew this boy would become a great coach.”

Xabi is now one step away from sitting on Real Madrid’s bench, the club where he was once a player. He will succeed Carlo Ancelotti. Without a doubt, he has learned many lessons from his days under Mourinho at Real and Guardiola at Bayern Munich.