The Spain coach is in awe of the experienced midfielder’s qualities on the pitch, while he had similar words of encouragement for Toni Kroos
Vicente del Bosque has lauded the way Xabi Alonso has found his feet at Bayern Munich since joining from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
The 32-year-old has developed into a key figure at Bayern since his summer move and Del Bosque believes his home nation should be proud of the former international’s prowess on the pitch.
“Xabi is almost like a coach on the pitch. A lot of players are looking in his direction,” Del Bosque told Sport Bild.
“He is an extraordinary player. It’s utter madness that he made his debut for Bayern against Schalke just 48 hours after joining them. That’s more proof of his intelligence.
“Spain should be proud of him.”
Del Bosque then went on to praise Toni Kroos, too, who moved in the opposite direction ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and has enjoyed a hugely promising start to his career at Santiago Bernabeu.
“Kroos plays a similar role as Alonso. They are always looking for him as well at Madrid. He plays a bit deeper than at Bayern, but 80 per cent of his passes reach a team-mate,” he said.
“Kroos is a very elegant player. He changes the pace of the game, plays short passes and then long balls. He is extraordinary, too.”