Closed one chapter, the following opens: the Spanish coach Xabi Alonso puts an end to his adventure at the Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season, opening the doors upon arrival at Real Madrid.
After several weeks, delaying for his own will the time to make the announcement, the Basque coach finally shared his decision this Friday. “These two games (against Borussia Dortmund and Mainz) will be my last two as coach of Bayer Leverkusen,” he explained in English, despite dominating the German.
His contract with the ‘Werkself’ (eleven of the factory, nickname of the Leverkusen) reached until June 30, 2026, but Xabi Alonso has decided to end him a year earlier, after having reached the Bayarena bench in September 2022.
In March, on the return of the international break, he postponed for the first time any decision, explaining that there was nothing to announce. Since then he has repeated that formula in his press conferences, arguing that it was not a good time to talk about the future.
After sharing his decision with his players on Friday, during training prior to the game of the 33rd Bundesliga day against Borussia Dortmund (Sunday), he made it public at the press conference.
The announcement means that you can say goodbye to Leverkusen fans on Sunday, before the end of the season next week in Mainz. Then, the time will come to make your bags, with a more than possible signing for Real Madrid.
Although on Friday he did not want to talk about his future, the Spanish newspaper Marca announced that the Italian Carlo Ancelotti will leave the white bench at the end of the season, a vacancy that seems promised for the next three seasons to the 43 -year -old Basque.
A first gold chapter
The Canterano of the Real Sociedad debuted with the Donostiarra Club (2000-2004) before playing in European giants such as Liverpool (2004-2009), Real Madrid (2009-2014) and Bayern Munich (2014-2017).
World Champion (2010) and double European champion (2008, 2012) with the Spanish team, also played a roof at club levels with two champion leagues, one with Liverpool (2005) and another with Real Madrid (2014). An exquisite record as a player to which numerous national titles are added.
Already as a technician, at the time of his arrival at the Club of the Periphery of Colonia his curriculum on the benches was scarce: after hanging his boots, he trained the youth categories of Real Madrid and then the Reserva de la Real Sociedad team (2019-2022).
At the time of assuming the reins of Leverkusen, in September 2022, the team occupied the 17th position, in relegation positions, but Alonso took the club to qualify for Europa League (6th). This was his first myalgro in Germany.
In its first full season, the 2023-2024, achieved the first Leverkusen championship in 120 years of history, without granting a single defeat in the 34 Bundesliga games (28 wins and 6 draws). He also won the German Cup, and his only defeat throughout the season arrived in the Europa League final (3-0 against Atalanta).
“A dream season of which we will perhaps remember in 20 years,” he recalled this Friday.
His performance did not go unnoticed, and in 2024 he already caused the interest of Liverpool and Bayern Munich to occupy the holes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
After staying, this season has kept Bayern Munich in the fight for Bundesliga, although a draw against the Bavarian giant in mid-February (0-0) prevented the ‘Werkself’ fighting the title in the final stretch.
