Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has stated that Xabi Alonso will be remaining with the club next season, after various links to take him away from the club. The Basque manager only took over in October, but such has been the improvement at Leverkusen that Alonso has already attracted admiring glances.
Carro spoke to that improvement with Diario AS, explaining where specifically he had made advances.
“With Xabi Alonso we have managed a very good evolution, with security, control and a way of playing that has given us a good run in these first months of the year. It has led the team to have more control, more head, to be better defensively and to take advantage of our weapons and strengths. I see us coming into the game in good shape and very excited, very sure of ourselves and willing to fight hard to qualify for the final.”
Leverkusen face Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.
Both were together at Real Madrid when Alonso was dominating games from central midfield, playing under Mourinho. And both have since been linked to Los Blancos, in the event that Carlo Ancelotti is no longer there next season. Carro was clear that next season Alonso would be there.
“He has a contract with us until 2024. He is happy here and we are happy with him. We are enjoying working together and I am sure we will be with him next season. And hopefully there will be many more, but in football you can’t look much further than that.”
Alonso has been careful with his development in coaching so far, not rushing into a big job, and taking the time to learn. Starting his journey in the Real Madrid academy, Alonso then moved to Real Sociedad B where he won promotion to the second tier for the first time in 60 years. Having left his former club last summer, Alonso did not take the first offer that came to him, waiting until the right opportunity, which clearly he felt was in the Bundesliga.
