Only two games left, then coach Xabi Alonso Bayer 04 Leverkusen will leave. The farewell is extremely difficult for both sides – but also opens up new opportunities.
It was written in the face of Xabi Alonso that this decision was difficult for him. He would leave Bayer 04 Leverkusen after the end of the season, the Spaniard said on Friday afternoon (May 9, 2025), set up an extremely tortured smile and was also unable to hide his damp eyes.
In addition, Alonso spoke in English, which he did in the past three years when he never wanted to make a communicative mistake. In German he never felt so sure.
Era with many unknowns
It was one of these special days that rarely experience football clubs. Trainers and players come and go, often without much influence on the respective club. Not so rarely, both sides are even very happy that their paths separate.
In the case of Alonso and Bayer 04, however, something had developed that was anything but common. Trainers and club seemed to have searched and found. “We started an era with many strangers,” said Alonso with a view to his beginnings in the Rhineland when the club was even threatening to descend in October 2022.
This liaison developed a success story that was not considered possible, crowned with the double success, framed by a nationally unbeaten season 2023/24. A real novelty. Both sides had fertilized each other intensively with their knowledge and their experiences. “We can be happy and proud of how the club developed,” said Alonso.
Does Alonso go to Real Madrid?
And so it was anything but ordinary that the entire coaching and supervisory staff as well as sports director Simon Rolfes and managing director Fernando Carro had gathered to be there when the farewell was announced. “A special era comes to an end, then you can get wistful,” said Carro der Sportschau, who was also visibly emotionally touched.
Wherever it is going, he did not want to announce, but the sparrows whistle from the roofs. Especially since the Spanish newspaper Marca announced in the morning that the 43-year-old signed at Real Madrid for three years.
Hope until the end
But even without this reporting, Alonso announced his decision before his last home game – against Borussia Dortmund. The unrest around the future of the coach has been poured forward in the past few days and weeks.
But: Alonsos’s finding process did not seem to be that clearly. Only this week the Spaniard is said to have announced his final decision to those responsible. Until the end – until a few days ago – Carro, Rolfes and Co. had hoped and thought that Alonso could and would decide under the Bayerkreuz for another year. They really wanted to wait because they would have liked to see Alonso for another year in Leverkusen.
Does CESC Fabregas come to Leverkusen?
“But that doesn’t change the fact that we remain ambitious and want sporting success. We want to create a new dynamic,” said Rolfes, who can now have the decisive conversations with the successor.
Favorite on Alonso’s successor should also be a Spaniard and former world-class player. CESC Fabregas, currently in the service of the Italian first division team in 1907, is likely to receive another call from Rolfes in no time.
Wirtz changes or not?
After all, the Leverkuseners want to reach planning security as quickly as possible and present the new coach at the beginning of next week. Because on these decisions of the club there is a not very insignificant personnel and a particularly important question: stays Florian Wirtz at Bayer 04 or does he change the club prematurely?
The national player’s contract runs for two more years at Werkelf. The 22-year-old has not yet come to Rolfes regarding a change. “No,” said the sports director. Rolfes commented with the FC Bayern also commented with reports that Wirtz has already agreed.
Tearful farewell?
On Sunday, Alonso will say goodbye to the Leverkusen supporters in his last home game. “It will be a very special moment,” said Alonso.
Alonso said that he could also remain advisable for the club because he feels so connected to the club. “We will definitely keep our close contact,” said Rolfes.
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