Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso said a decision regarding his next move would be made public “not too far” from now, as he marked an emotional farewell during his last home game with the club on Sunday.
Alonso had confirmed on Friday that he would step down at the end of the season. Sunday’s match — a 4-2 defeat against Champions League hopefuls Borussia Dortmund — marked his final appearance at Leverkusen’s BayArena. He is widely tipped to take over at Real Madrid, where he previously lifted the Champions League and La Liga as a player.
Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Madrid on Sunday has virtually secured the La Liga title for the Catalan side. With current Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expected to exit the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, Alonso is considered the leading candidate to fill the role.
Although Alonso declined multiple offers last season from clubs including Liverpool, Madrid, and Bayern Munich, he has consistently sidestepped speculation about his future. On Sunday, he acknowledged that an announcement would come soon.
“We will see in the future. Not too long, but we need to wait. Today is about our club, our players,” he told DAZN.
“For me it’s the end of a super era in my life and I want to enjoy it, and afterwards we’ll see.
“I was emotional and this club will stay in my heart forever.”
Alonso took charge of Leverkusen in October 2022 with the team struggling near the relegation zone. He guided them to a sixth-place finish that season. In his first full campaign, he led the club to an unbeaten domestic double—winning both the league and cup.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, club CEO Fernando Carro presented Alonso with a ‘Xabi Alonso Allee’ street sign. When Leverkusen secured their first league title in 120 years last season, fans unofficially renamed roads near the stadium in his honor.
After the match, Alonso said he would cherish the sign.
“I’ll get it in my office, wherever it is, and I’ll try and explain it to people in some years. It’s a very meaningful thing for me, because it’s from the fans, from the people, and it means even more,” he said.
“I remember it as one of the greatest times of my life.”
Alonso’s final match with Leverkusen will take place away to Mainz next Saturday.
What you should know
Xabi Alonso is set to leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season after an impressive tenure that saw the club achieve an unbeaten domestic double.
He’s widely expected to become Real Madrid’s next manager, with an official announcement anticipated soon.
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