Bayer Leverkusen have announced that manager Xabi Alonso will leave at the end of the current campaign after two-and-a-half years in charge, with reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid.
Alonso – who made 236 appearances in five years with the Spanish giants during his playing career – made history during a record breaking 2023-24 campaign after ending Bayern Munich’s dominance to win the Bundesliga trophy.
Alonso’s contract was due to expire in 2026 but both parties have agreed to a termination as a move to replace Brazil-bound Carlo Ancelotti in Spain looms.
In a statement, Bayer Leverkusen said: “Together with Xabi Alonso we have written a success story just through winning the league title without defeat in a way not seen in German football,” said Werner Wenning, chair of the shareholders committee at Bayer 04.
“He was an outstanding ambassador at all times as coach both for our club as well as for the whole Bundesliga. Therefore, we are very grateful to Xabi Alonso.”
Alonso added: “I owe great thanks to Bayer Leverkusen, my players and staff, all the employees of the club and last but not least the fantastic fans. Our success was the result of an outstanding team performance.
“This club, who showed exceptional trust in me, very much deserved to win the German league title for the first time. My thanks and admiration go to everybody who helped to make this triumph happen, including the DFB Pokal win in Berlin.
“Bayer are ready for the future. The positive path will continue and I will be excited to follow it.”
