Xabi Alonso has confirmed he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season.
The Spaniard led German outfit to a famous league and cup double across a remarkable unbeaten domestic season last year.
But after coming up short in his attempt to retain the Bundesliga title, Alonso confirmed his decision to depart ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Borussia Dortmund, ending a three-year spell at the club.
“This week, the club and I have agreed that these last two games are going to be my last as Leverkusen coach,” Alonso said. “Now is the right moment to announce it.
“We want to have a proper farewell on Sunday. This morning I have talked with players and staff. For sure it is a moment with mixed emotions.
“I have to be thankful for everyone – from the fans, the people in the club and for sure the players. We can be happy and we can be proud of what we have achieved. We are taking the club in the right direction.”
Alonso is set to take over from Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager, reuniting with the club he spent five successful years at – winning La Liga in 2012 before helping the Galacticos to Champions League glory over city rivals Atletico in 2014.
The 43-year-old was one game away from securing a historic treble last season as he looked to add a Europa League to his Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles – only to be thwarted by an Ademola Lookman hat-trick in Dublin as Atalanta came out 3-0 final victors.
Nevertheless, Alonso accomplished an incredible turnaround at the BayArena, with his appointment in October 2022 coming when Leverkusen sat in the relegation zone of the Bundesliga after their worst start to a season since 1979.
After propelling them up the table in his debut season to earn European qualification, Alonso then embarked on a 35-game Bundesliga unbeaten streak to win Bayer Leverkusen a first ever top-flight title.
