Bundesliga
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso will now take over at Real Madrid from 1 June 2025 after vacating his role after Bayer's final match of the season, bringing to an end a historic stint at the club.
Alonso, who joined Leverkusen in October 2022, brought an end to his time at BayArena following the club's final match of the Bundesliga term at Mainz on Saturday 17 May. It has now been confirmed that Alonso will join Real next season, a club he represented 236 times as a player.
"I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bayer Leverkusen, my players and staff, everyone at the club, and, last but not least, the fantastic fans," Alonso said in a statement. "Our success was the result of an outstanding team performance.
"This club, which has placed extraordinary trust in me, thoroughly deserved to win the Bundesliga for the first time. My thanks and affection go to everyone who helped make this triumph a reality, including the cup victory in Berlin. Leverkusen are ready for the future. This positive trajectory will continue, and I will follow it with interest."
The 43-year-old enjoyed a fantastic spell in charge of Leverkusen. When he arrived, the team found themselves languishing in the relegation zone, but Alonso guided them to a sixth-placed finish and UEFA Europa League semi-final.
That provided momentum for 2023/24, which proved to be the greatest in the club's history. Not only did they win the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, they did so unbeaten and also lifted the DFB Cup. A Europa League final loss to Atalanta was ultimately their only defeat in 53 outings in all competitions.
This season has not matched those heights, but Leverkusen have still ended the campaign in second place behind Bayern Munich, who also knocked them out of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, while they reached the cup semi-finals before succumbing to Arminia Bielefeld.
He also departs with the highest points per game (2.2) and the highest win percentage (65 percent) of any head coach in Leverkusen history, while his 34-game unbeaten away run is a Bundesliga record.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said: "This era has been a milestone in the development of Bayer Leverkusen. Together with Xabi, we have assembled a team that has impressed the entire football world with its sporting quality and mentality. We are proud of the club's great progress and current standing and wish Xabi all the best in his future endeavours. I am sure our paths will cross more often."