Xabi Alonso and Philip Lahm both are iconic figures of Bayern Munich that have helped the German club in lifting various pieces of silverware and coincidentally played their final professional competitive game on May 20 of 2017 during a 4-1 triumph of Bayern Munich over SC Freiburg.

Even though both retirees hung up their playing boots, the head coach Carlo Ancelotti wanted to keep on working closely with Alonso as well as Lahm and the Italian coach recently stated that he actually offered them the chance to become assistant managers and to start learning more in depth about the world of coaching but neither of them were interested as they both declined.

Carlo Ancelotti recently unveiled details concerning the coaching role that he offered to his former players as the Italian tactician said:

"I wanted an assistant who knew the club. I tried to convince Philipp Lahm before the end of the season; I also tried to convince Xabi Alonso but they refused. "Willy suits perfectly, he has the right profile, he has been successful at Bordeaux, and he knows the players like Coman or Ribery, and he will improve our trainer team."

The 58 year old manager wanted to have an assistant who knew Bayern Munich inside out and this is why his initial offers were launched towards Philip Lahm and Xabi Alonso. Both of which have been performing at the Allianz Arena for the past 3 seasons and in the case of Lahm, it’s even longer as the German retiree has been a Bayern Munich player since his youth after entering the youth academy team at the age of 11.

After Lahm and Alonso rejected their offers, Carlo Ancelotti eventually went on to appoint the former Bayern Munich player Willy Sagnol as his new assistant manager on June 9 of 2017.