Xabi Alonso announced his decision to leave Bayer Leverkusen after the current season. He is set to become the new coach of Real Madrid, as they are set to axe Carlo Ancelotti, following Champions League exit.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has informed the club about his decision to step down after the current season. Ahead of the marquee match against Borussia Dortmund, the former Spanish international confirmed his departure, stating that ‘it’s time to confirm these will be my final games at Bayer.’
The 43-year-old is set to become the new head coach of Real Madrid. After a humiliating defeat to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, Madrid president Florentino Perez decided to change the coaching staff, and since then, Alonso’s name has been heavily discussed, especially given that he is a former player of the club and played a vital role in lifting the La Decima in 2014.
“This week, the club and I have agreed that these two games are going to be my last two games as Bayer Leverkusen coach. Now is the right moment to announce it because we have always had this good communication with the club and now that we have clarity, it is the right moment to say that is a moment with mixed emotions. I’m not going to talk about the future because we know we wanted to have a proper farewell on Sunday for some players and myself,” Alonso said in the press conference.
Alonso is expected to pen a three-year deal with the Spanish giants, which will keep him at the club till 2024. However, he will be joining the team after the Club World Cup and ahead of the new La Liga season. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti will also be removed ahead of the Club World Cup, which indicates that the Madrid-based club will be hiring an interim manager. Santiago Solari currently leads the race.
Notably, Alonso was appointed as the new Leverkusen coach during the middle of the 2022-23 season. The team was fighting relegation, but after Alonso joined, things changed for good as the team finished sixth in the table. In the following season, Leverkusen lifted the title being an unbeaten side. They reached the Europa League final last season but failed to clear the distance. This season, Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga, while Leverkusen are second at the moment.
