Xabi Alonso said goodbye yesterday to the crowd at the BayArena ahead of his final match as Bayer’s coach.
The Spanish coach was seen off with applause from the packed stadium, and as of today, a street in Leverkusen will bear his name. The club’s management gifted him a photo with the German championship trophy and a plaque reading “Xabi Alonso Street.”
Alonso announced on Friday that he would leave the club a year before the expiration of his contract, which runs until 2026.
“This week, the club and I reached an agreement. I have two more matches left as Leverkusen’s coach. This is the right time to announce it,” said Alonso at the regular press conference ahead of the match.
With that, the 43-year-old Spaniard confirmed that yesterday‘s match against Borussia Dortmund was his last at home as coach of the “Pharmacists.”
“We want to say a proper goodbye on Sunday, some of the players, but also I personally,” said Alonso.
Leverkusen will finish the season next Saturday with a match against Mainz. Bayern Munich has already secured the Bundesliga title.
When asked about the future, Alonso declined to comment on a potential next engagement.
“I’m not going to talk about that now. It’s not the right moment,” he said two days ago, even though he has been linked for some time with a move to Real Madrid.
The season for Leverkusen was disappointing, especially compared to the last one, when Alonso led them to a historic success. The club went unbeaten to win its first Bundesliga title, and then also won the German Cup.
Those were major achievements for a club that rivals had mockingly called “Neverkusen” for years, due to many missed opportunities for major trophies.
When Alonso took over the team in October 2022, Leverkusen was in the relegation zone.
Photo: Instagram
