Xabi Alonso announces decision on Bayer Leverkusen future amid speculations of Real Madrid switch
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has announced that he's leaving at the end of the season, amid reports of replacing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. Alonso has been with Leverkusen since October 2022.
Last season, the Spaniard led Leverkusen to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga triumph, ending Bayern Munich's 12-year stranglehold. Their only defeat all season came in the UEFA Europa League final to Atalanta, denying them a continental treble and a rare unbeaten season across competitions.
However, Alonso couldn't repeat the trick this season, with their 2-2 draw at SC Freiburg last weekend confirming Bayern as the Bundesliga champions. GOAL has now reported that Alonso is leaving Leverkusen once the season ends.
"The club and I agreed this week that the next two Bundesliga games will be my last as coach of Leverkusen," Alonso said.
As per Sky (via GOAL), the Spaniard is headed to Los Blancos, whose boss, Carlo Ancelotti, is widely expected to leave, with Madrid looking likely to end the season without major silverware.
Meanwhile, Alonso will next oversee the Bundesliga home game with Borussia Dortmund on Sunday (April 11) before ending his successful tenure at Mainz six days later, with second place and a UEFA Champions League return assured.
The former Madrid midfielder won the DFL-Supercup this season, but Leverkusen's DFB-Pokal title defence ended in the semi-finals. Alonso's side were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, with Leverkusen losing seven times in 48 games across competitions this campaign.
How did Xabi Alonso fare as a player at Real Madrid?
Xabi Alonso - one of the best midfielders of his generation - spent a successful five seasons at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014. In 236 games across competitions, the Spaniard contributed six goals and 31 assists.
The two-time European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup winner helped deliver Madrid's long-awaited La Decima in what turned out to be his final season at the club in 2013-14. Nine years earlier, he had also won the competition with Liverpool.
During his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, the outgoing Bayer Leverkusen boss won the La Liga title in 2012 and three other trophies. After moving to Bayern in the summer of 2014, Alonso won three straight Bundesliga titles before announcing his retirement.
More than a decade after leaving Los Blancos, he's now reportedly set for a return, this time as a head coach.
