Bayer Leverkusen have appointed Xabi Alonso as their new head coach.
The World Cup winner and European champion told the club’s official website: “I know Leverkusen from my time in Germany as an excellent club.
“Bayer 04 have always had great players and I see a lot of quality in the current squad too. In my discussions with the club, it quickly became clear that, despite the currently difficult situation, ambitious goals are still being pursued in principle. I am very excited about this task and I am sure that we will live up to this aim.”
After retiring as a player in 2017, Alonso learned his trade with Real Madrid’s youth team and later took over at Real Sociedad B.
Bayer’s sporting director Simon Rolfes said: “In Xabi Alonso, we have signed a coach who, as a player, was an absolute world-class professional for many years, an intelligent strategist and extremely successful in three of the most demanding European leagues.”
GSFN
