Xabi Alonso One Step Towards Real Madrid

After being long buried, the enigma surrounding Xabi Alonso's career continuation at Bayer Leverkusen is slowly being unveiled. Alonso has revealed that he will leave Leverkusen at the end of this season. He is projected to replace Carlo Ancelotti as the coach of Real Madrid.

Leverkusen's final two games of the season against Borussia Dortmund and Mainz will be Alonso's farewell games. "This week, the club and I agreed that these will be my last two games as Leverkusen coach," Alonso said in a press conference on Friday (9/5/2025), as quoted by The Athletic.

The former midfielder of Liverpool and Real Madrid left a phenomenal legacy by delivering the first Bundesliga championship title in the history of Leverkusen, even achieving an unbeaten record throughout the season. Alonso's skilled management also ended the hegemony of Bayern Munich, which had won the Bundesliga for 11 consecutive seasons.

In addition, Alonso led Leverkusen to victory in the DFB Pokal. Leverkusen nearly achieved a treble in a single season had they not lost to Atalanta in the Europa League final.

Alonso's achievements have made Real interested in making him the successor to Ancelotti. Since last season, rumors of Alonso's transfer to Real have been circulating but have not materialized. Alonso chose to remain with Leverkusen in the hope of replicating similar success this season.

However, Leverkusen's dominance under Alonso came to a halt this season. Leverkusen failed to break Muenchen's dominance and had to settle for second place in the league. Alonso was once again powerless against Muenchen in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. In the DFB Pokal, Leverkusen was also eliminated in the semifinals by Arminia Bielefeld.

Although he failed to replicate last season's impressive achievements, Alonso remains the coach that Leverkusen needs. His contract still runs until June 2026. However, Alonso feels that his adventure with Leverkusen has been sufficient.

This week, Alonso is reported to have held a meeting with Bayer Leverkusen's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fernando Carro, and Sports Director Simon Rolfes. The meeting is believed to be the moment when Alonso expressed his decision to leave.

"This is the right time to announce it because we have always had good communication with the club. We must enjoy this moment with mixed emotions; it is emotional! I spoke with the players and staff, it was not easy," said Alonso.

In the press conference, Alonso declined to comment on which club he would manage next. "This is not the right time to discuss that," he stated.

Although refusing to speak, many parties believe that Real has already been confirmed as Alonso's next destination. Alonso's move from Leverkusen to Real is merely a matter of time.

Real is certain to dismiss Ancelotti due to his failures in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey final. As the end of La Liga approaches, Real is also trailing four points behind Barcelona, who is leading the standings.

The impact of this series of failures ensures that there will be no mercy for Ancelotti. It is very rare for a Real coach to survive without delivering any trophies in a season. Alonso is believed to be the most suitable figure to take over. Meanwhile, Ancelotti is predicted to take on a new role as the coach of the Brazilian national team.

At almost the same time as the issue of Alonso's departure from Leverkusen, new information has emerged from the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, who stated that a new head coach will be announced "soon."