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Alonso announced on Friday that he would be leaving the club at end of season
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Leverkusen need to replace former midfielder as he prepares to head to Spain
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LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Are Arsenal even close to achieving big things?
Erik ten Hag
is ‘neck and neck’ with an
Arsenal
famous contender in the contest to take over as the new manager of Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen boss
Xabi Alonso
will depart from the club at the conclusion of the season to assume command at Real Madrid, coming back to his previous team as manager when
Carlo Ancelotti
departs.
There have been longstanding speculations about Alonso potentially returning to Spain by the end of this season. This comes asAncelotti faces increasing scrutiny following a relatively underwhelming period for the team.
Los Blancos
.
He received extensive praise for guiding Leverkusen to an undefeated domestic double in the previous season, with his team losing only one match overall.
Europa League
ultimately in their last game of the season.
Nevertheless, before this past Sunday’s final home match of the season, Alonso revealed that he plans to leave the club, with multiple sources suggesting he will head to Real Madrid.
Although significant focus will be on his performance in Spain, Leverkusen also needs to find a replacement for him. According to reports from a German source, this could be quite challenging.
Kicker
It might be either Ten Hag or
Cesc Fabregas
Who will be managing the team next season?
Since being dismissed by Manchester United in October, Ten Hag hasn’t had another position. He was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford and subsequently substituted by Ruben Amorin.
During his time with the Red Devils, he guided them to victory in the League Cup and secured their place in the Champions League, but circumstances deteriorated this season.
He might demand higher wages, but could end up being less expensive to sign since he’s not currently employed, similar to how Fabregas was when initially signed.
The ex-Gunners skipper, who previously played for teams such as Barcelona and Chelsea, took over at Italian club Como at the beginning of this season, marking his debut as a manager.
Currently, he has guided them to the 10th position in the Serie A standings this season, which marks their debut year after being promoted. This achievement is gradually earning him recognition as one of the most promising coaches across Europe.
Despite being 38 years old, he has signed an agreement extending his deal until 2028. It is said that approximately £10 million would be required to buy him out of his current contract.
Alonso, meantime, declared on Friday: “This week, both the club and myself have concurred that these will mark my final two matches as the Leverkusen coach. It’s an appropriate time to make this known due to our consistent open dialogue within the organization.”
We’re experiencing this moment with a blend of feelings; it’s incredibly emotional! I talked to both the players and the staff, and it wasn’t an easy conversation. Our strong bond has been crucial. They trusted me, and they’ve supported me all along. This weekend, I wish for a fitting farewell.
As the manager for Leverkusen, Alonso has overseen 138 matches, emerging victorious in 88 of those – translating to roughly a 64 percent success rate.
In addition to being named the Bundesliga Coach of the Season last year, the Spanish manager was also awarded ‘Best Coach of the Year’ by Globe Soccer in 2024.
After claiming victory with five titles and participating in 236 matches over his five-year tenure at Madrid in 2014, he departed from the team. He stands as one of the standout figures among Spain’s exceptionally talented midfield cohort from that era, having claimed triumphs in two UEFA European Championships along with a FIFA World Cup, amassing an impressive tally of 114 caps for La Roja throughout this period.
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