Xabi Alonso to Leave Bayer Leverkusen for Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso, the coach of Bayer Leverkusen, is to leave the club at the end of the 2024-25 season and he would succeed Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. The 43-year-old who took Leverkusen to an incredible unbeaten Bundesliga title and German Cup double the previous year announced the same on Friday. His last games will be against Borussia Dortmund this Sunday and Mainz on May 17.

"This week, the club and I agreed that these two games will be my last as Bayer Leverkusen coach," Alonso said. "It’s an emotional moment. I’ve spoken with the players and staff, and we want to share a proper farewell with the fans who have supported us through an unbelievable three years."

Alonso, a former star player for Spain, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, has shone in his first big coaching job at Leverkusen. According to BBC Sport’s Guillem Balague, he’s lined up to replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid, though it’s not clear when that will be officially announced.

Last year, Alonso was linked with top jobs at Liverpool and Bayern but chose to stay with Leverkusen after talks with the club’s bosses. Even last month, as Leverkusen fought for the Bundesliga, he brushed off questions about his future, saying it wasn’t the right time to talk. But with Real Madrid struggling—trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga and knocked out of the Champions League early—the move seems to have gained momentum.

Leverkusen’s CEO, Fernando Carro, had said in April that Alonso was happy and planning for next season. Yet the chance to coach Real Madrid, where Alonso played from 2009 to 2014, was too big to pass up. As Leverkusen prepares to say goodbye to their game-changing coach, fans are gearing up for an emotional farewell at Sunday’s match against Dortmund.