Xabi Alonso signs a contract extension as coach of Bayer Leverkusen after a strong first season
Leverkusen's head coach Xabi Alonso looks on during the German Bundesliga soccer match against Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. Xabi Alonso has extended his contract as coach of German club Bayer Leverkusen through to 2026 after a strong first season led to speculation linking him with some of Europe’s top teams, it was announced Friday, Aug. 4. Alonso took over Leverkusen in October when it was second-to-last in the Bundesliga. Credit: AP/Martin Meissner
LEVERKUSEN, Germany — Xabi Alonso extended his contract as coach of German club Bayer Leverkusen through to 2026 on Friday after a strong first season led to speculation linking him with some of Europe's top teams.
Alonso, who won the Champions League as a player with Liverpool and Real Madrid and the World Cup with Spain, took over Leverkusen in October when it was second-to-last in the Bundesliga. The team finished the season in sixth and reached the semifinals of the Europa League.
“I see last season as a positive. But I want more, exactly as the club does. We are now working on that with ambition,” Alonso said in a statement.
His contract had previously been due to run out at the end of the 2023-24 season. The Leverkusen job is Alonso's first as coach of a senior team after stints in Spain with Real Sociedad's B-team and as a Real Madrid youth coach.
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