Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed he will be leaving the club in the summer.
It is reported that he will join his former club Real Madrid and take over from current boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is also expected to depart at the end of the season.
Alonso said in his press conference: “This week, the club and I have agreed that these are going to be my last two games as Bayer Leverkusen coach.
"Now is the right moment to announce it, because we have always had this good communication with the club.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed he will be leaving the club in the summer
PA
"We want to have a proper farewell on Sunday here for some players, myself. It was the right moment to announce it."
Alonso has steered Leverkusen to a dramatic resurgence during his three-year tenure at the German club.
The 43-year-old is widely considered as one of football's great young managers, after guiding Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title.
In doing so, they denied Bayern Munich a 12th consecutive league in tremendous style, going unbeaten for the entire campaign.
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Alonso nearly led the club to an unheard of unbeaten season in all competitions.
They wonm Germany’s domestic cup, the DFB Pokal, but lost in the Europa League final to Atlanta, courtesy of former Fulham and Leicester player Ademola Lookman’s hat trick.
Impressively, the side remained domestically unbeaten - making history in the process.
Alonso will manage his final game for the club at the BayArena, meaning he will have the chance to wave goodbye to the adorning Leverkusen fans.
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Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave Real Madrid this summer
Reuters“I want to have a proper goodbye this weekend," he added.
"It has been a long, meaningful and successful time here at this club and I want to give the respect back, until the very last day.”
It had been rumoured last summer that Alonso would replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, after playing for the club over 140 times in five years winning a Champions League and FA Cup.
Instead, he decided to remain with Leverkusen for a final season and Arne Slot was announced.
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During his playing career, Alonso left Liverpool for Real Madrid in a £30million move where the Spaniard would win another Champions League, along with a league title and three domestic cups.
He left Madrid to join German giants Bayern Munich in 2014, where he would remain for three years until the end of his career, winning the league in all three of these seasons.
Alonso also won the World Cup and two European Championships during Spain’s ‘golden era’.
It has been heavily reported that he will be joining Trent Alexander-Arnold in Madrid, with the La Liga giants currently in danger of suffering a rare trophyless season under Ancelotti.
Xabi Alonso has impressed at Bayer Leverkusen and will be hoping to achieve success at Real Madrid
GettyAlonso could join a team of superstars, including Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Luka Modric at Madrid, who are looking to return to the summit of club football after falling short this term.
The former midfielder refused to comment on these rumours, however, claiming it was ‘not the moment for that’.
