Xabi Alonso has announced that he will continue as the manager of Bayer Leverkusen, despite interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Alonso has been considered a possible replacement for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool or Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, both of whom are leaving their clubs at the end of the season.
The former midfielder, who had successful stints at both clubs during his playing career, has been doing well as the head of Leverkusen.
His team remains undefeated in all competitions and is currently 10 points ahead at the top of the Bundesliga, getting closer to their first-ever top-flight title.
“It’s been a season we have had a lot of speculation regarding my future,” Alonso said. “Until now we have had so many games, been pretty busy and focused, and I wanted to reflect during the international break and take a decision.
“Last week I had a very good meeting when I informed of them [Leverkusen’s directors] of my decision to continue being coach of Bayer Leverkusen. For sure all the decisions you need to analyse well. I try to take the right ones, I try to take them in a natural way.
“At the moment this is the right place for me to develop as a coach, I am a young coach. Right now this is the right place.”
Alonso added: “I have to thank the management. The club had been supportive and I feel respected by all departments.
“The fans they have shown great support and they have reasons to believe and dream we will have a great season. I have a great staff to help me work day by day, and so for sure the players.”
Alonso played 210 games for Liverpool from 2004 to 2009 before moving to Real Madrid for five years. He then spent three years at Bayern before retiring in 2017.
In October 2022, he took on a role at Leverkusen and helped the team go from second-to-last place to sixth.
Now, in Alonso’s first full season as manager, Leverkusen is close to winning their first Bundesliga title with eight games left. They are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
Klopp, who announced in January that he would step down as Liverpool manager, said he understood Alonso’s decision.
“One part I can speak about is a young manager where he is doing well,” he explained. “Being at a club in a similar situation, I did pretty much the same and I never regretted it. That’s pretty much everything I can say about it.
“He is doing an incredible job there. Leverkusen has a good team and they will probably keep the team together. That’s a possibility and not all years it is like that. So I understand that he wants to do that.”
