From gate to the trainer
© Imago
The shell is almost lost, the central master heroes are on the go and the boss finally wants clarity: Bayer Leverkusen is just one year after the historical season with two titles in front of a memorable sale and upheaval as well as the end of a very short but glorious era.
While coach Xabi Alonso only seems to be about the time of announcement, is the crucial question for exceptional kickers Florian Wirtz: Bavaria? Or not Bavaria? Especially from Alonso, who is contractually bound to the Werkself until summer 2026, managing director Fernando Carro is now calling for a decision promptly. The remaining four Bundesliga games-starting with the home game against FC Augsburg on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky)-are a minor in view of the eight points.
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“We will not wait until the end of the season, but we will have to decide beforehand, because that has different consequences in squad planning, in preparation,” said the Spanish club chief this week at “Sky” about the decision. His gut feeling at Alonso is “50:50” – if you have followed Carros in the past few months, you know that this is not a lot anymore.
Alonsos watch. Not only when deciding on a change, but also in Leverkusen, where the 43-year-old doesn’t really have much to win after the miraculous spring 2024. The offers are also tempting. At his heart club Real Madrid, he could follow the big Carlo Ancelotti this summer. In addition, according to “Radio Marca“After the announced farewell to Imanol Alguacil, Real Sociedad Alonso also convince. From 2019 to 2022, he took his first steps as a coach in the men’s area from 2019 to 2022.
Carro wants to make Alonso clear that the decision should now be made promptly. There is obviously a kind of “Gentlemen’s Agreement” between the bosses and the trainer, as Carro and sports director Simon Rolfes put it. Leverkusen is likely to receive a double -digit million reduction in the early departure of the master coach. “”Sky“Quantifies the desired amount to 15 million to 20 million euros.
“For planning, the coaching position is always a very important one, because it is of course also the starting point for many discussions and exchange towards summer. (…) With XABI we are in an open exchange that there is really a timely decision and we will certainly have until the end of the season,” emphasized Rolfes at “Sky”. Alonso knew that he has to provide clarity. “The fact that it might take a little longer than last year is like that, but as I said: Summer also comes where the planning is due.”
A year ago, the former world-class soccer player had created clarity early on and confirmed his whereabouts with the Werkelf. “I don’t feel pressure. For me, the situation is clear. There is a moment for everything, it is still too early to talk. We have to wait,” he said on Friday at a press conference. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.” But after the championship and cup have been won and the first joint champions League season has been played, it should be time for the much-quoted next step at Alonso. Especially since Bayer’s squad should also change drastically in summer.
Many open questions: The construction sites at Bayer Leverkusen
The first key player has already said goodbye. Defense chief Jonathan Tah will not extend the expiring contract in Leverkusen and change in summer. So far, the 29-year-old has not said wherever you go. “To be honest, I don’t have a time window. But the club knows about it.” FC Barcelona has been trading for a long time with ex-national coach Hansi Flick, who, however, has to deal with financial requirements.
The topic of Wirtz hovers over everyone else in terms of sport. The 21-year-old has brought the step to international star and is contractually bound in Leverkusen by summer 2027. Association boss Carro believes in a whereabouts and recently emphasized that there was “financially no pain limit”. Bayer was particularly hard when Wirtz not only works, but also to rival FC Bayern, which has been successfully attacked in the past two years.
Bavaria overfather Uli Hoeneß, who seems to meet Wirtz ‘father regularly, sees the “power totally at Bayer Leverkusen”. Of course, this is only half the truth. If Wirtz reveals the person responsible for Rolfes his change of change, it could be relatively quick – and then Bayern would be in business immediately.
“If Florian Wirtz should say at some point that I want to leave Bayer Leverkusen, then you can deal with the topic,” said Hoeneß last. The fact that there is now already talking about transfer sums of EUR 150 million is “dubious” and “hocus -pocus”, said the Honorary President. Rolfes described the speculation about a pain limit at “Sky” as a “dangerous catch question, because this is always seen or tried to take or try to take. And that is not the case with us. Our wish is that Florian remains at Bayer 04. He also has a contract, there is no other developments or other things.”
Wirtz and Alonso are the central personal details at Bayer, but by no means the only unexplained questions for this summer. There could also be a change in the gate. Captain Lukas Hradecky is already 35, his rival Matej Kovar (24) failed again in the royal class game against FC Bayern. The step is apparently no longer trusted to the Czech, it should go.
Noah Atubolu (22), who plays a strong season in Freiburg, is the candidate for a possible succession of Hradeckys. Stefan Ortega (32) by Man City, Alex Meret (28) from Naples and Joan García (23) of Espanyol are also said to belong to the candidate group. The “Kicker“According to Djordje Petrovic (25), who is currently awarded from FC Chelsea to partner club RC Strasbourg Alsace. Whether the Serbian national goalkeeper finds the way to Leverkusen also depends on the need for the blues, which at least have six goalkeepers in the squad for the coming season. Bayer definitely wants to take money on the position.
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The outer train players Alejandro Grimaldo (29) and Jeremie Frimpong (24), who convince with speed and risk, were also central to the championship. But the Spaniard and the Dutch can also imagine an early farewell from Leverkusen. Grimaldo already spoke openly about the dream of a return to youth club FC Barcelona. Several top clubs from Spain and England should be interested in the dynamic Frimpong.
There have also been rumors about strategist Granit Xhaka (32), midfield colleague Robert Andrich (30) also more operational time with a view to the 2026 World Cup. Also with Jonas Hofmann (32), which is hardly in demand, the signs are at a farewell. And in the storm, the strikers Patrik Schick (29) and Victor Boniface (24) will carefully observe the outcome of the coaching question. If Alonso stays, the Boniface prefers as a game type, Schick should strive for a change. If a new trainer takes over, the cards would be mixed again. Boniface was only a signature from a move to Saudi Arabia in winter. “We will see what happens in summer,” said recently chic, whose contract runs until 2027.
Either way: Bayer only seems to ask whether it will be a small change or a big sale. Accordingly, there are also numerous rumors. With ISSA Traore (17), a defense talent from Mali has already been signed. Hertha’s offensive jewel Ibrahim Maza (19) should follow shortly. The Werkelf should also agree with the Bochum central defender Tim Oermann (21).
“There is speculation, there are many players, but I never did that to evaluate players from other clubs and to evaluate speculations. If there is anything to announce with any personnel, then we do it, but not before,” Rolfes reacted to the rumors at the “Sky” microphone. “Of course that there is speculation, it is part of it: in football, to our players, there are sometimes many gone and then they are all there. Or who can come, then you would need a second cabin. But the players are also active in their clubs and they should concentrate on it.”
But one thing becomes clear: Leverkusen continues to fish in the talent pool. This is also shown by the other traded names such as Strasbourg’s Ismaël Doukouré (21), Brightons Josh Duffus (20), Florenz-Youngster Niccolò Fortini (19) or PSGS Axel Tape (17).
So I feel a bit disappointing for the rest of the season and since last week my urge to watch every game has become significantly weaker. You can already say that two titles in the championship and the trophy have lightly wasted. Bremen, Union and Pauli. 7 point losses, which unfortunately hurt properly after the Bavarians simply have springs feathers. In addition, the pitiful end in the DFB trophy. For the first time, the decisions of Xabi are concerned with the person concerned …
