Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, after 2.5 years at the club. Alonso is believed to be on the verge of replacing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
After reports emerged on Friday morning that Alonso had confirmed the open secret to his players before their training session, the Basque manager declared he would be leaving the club after 2.5 highly successful years, securing a Bundesliga and DfB Pokal double last season. He did not confirm a switch to Los Blancos though.
“The club and I have agreed that these are my last two games in charge of the team. I’m not going to say anything about the next team yet. We have a couple of games left and a season to go. Then it’ll be time to talk about that. After the last game against Mainz. When we’ve done our work, it’ll be time to talk about my future,” he told Diario AS.
“In football, everything is about moments. Choosing the right moment to change is the hardest part. Last year, I felt I had to continue; this year, I don’t.”
Uncertainty over the future of Florian Wirtz
Despite interest from Real Madrid, and the possibility of both heading to the Spanish capital, Leverkusen star Wirtz is reportedly closest to moving to Bayern Munich this summer. While Alonso did not rule out moving for his former players, he did not give anything away regarding Wirtz.
“I can’t promise not to take some Leverkusen players with me on my next trip. I don’t have that information. We train, we play, but I don’t know anything about that.”
Alonso’s best moment at Leverkusen
He explained that his best, or favourite, moment at the club was winning the DfB Pokal final last season, having missed out on the Europa League at the hands of Atalanta.
“The Pokal final was the most exciting moment. The last week of last season was so intense. At some point, I knew we were going to win the Bundesliga. After experiencing the bitterness of football in Dublin, I wanted to finish the season in the best possible way, and in the end, we were able to close out a historic season with the double. It was the best way to close out a dream year. I think it will be remembered for a long time.”
Agreement with Real Madrid
Just hours earlier, it was reported that Alonso had reached an agreement with Real Madrid to join the club. He is set to sign a three-year deal and bring two of his staff members with him. Carlo Ancelotti is set to depart after the end of the Liga season to join up with Brazil, while Santiago Solari is expected to take over on an interim basis before the Club World Cup, with Alonso arriving after.
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