Bayer Leverkusen hire Xabi Alonso as new head coach | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that they have sacked Gerardo Seoane and hired Xabi Alonso as his replacement.

The former Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Real Madrid player has signed a contract until 2024 to take over at the BayArena.

Seoane was sacked on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which sees Die Werkself lying in the Bundesliga relegation zone having picked up just one win in their first eight games.

Alonso, who was linked with the Borussia Mönchengladbach job in 2021, takes his first job in senior football management.

The 40-year-old did cut his teeth in charge of LaLiga club Real Sociedad’s second team taking charge in 2019 and helping them win promotion to the Spanish second tier for the first time since 1962 before leaving last May.

“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,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes after his appointment.

Alonso had a glittering career as a player winning the Champions League with both Liverpool and Real Madrid, while also lifting the Bundesliga on three occasions for Bayern Munich.

Seoane had been at the club for 14 months, taking over in July 2021 and leading the club to Champions League qualification last season.

An ACL injury to Florian Wirtz in March has left him without one of his star players which hasn’t helped the team’s fortunes in the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Swiss boss’ reign ended in a 2-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday night.