Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed manager Xabi Alonso will leave the club at the end of the season.

When Alonso agreed to manage Leverkusen in 2022, he was relatively unknown in the managerial world, having only led Real Sociedad’s B team before moving to Germany. Nevertheless, he quickly established a name for himself.

The former midfielder led his team to an unbeaten season in the Bundesliga and caught the attention of top European clubs. Though Bayern Munich and Liverpool expressed interest, they were turned down, while long-time admirers Real Madrid remained focused on recruiting the Spanish coach this summer.

With Carlo Ancelotti expected to step down from Real Madrid at the end of the season, reports on Friday indicated that Alonso had already secured a three-year contract with the Spanish club.

A potential move to Madrid has now moved one step closer with confirmation that Alonso will step down from his role as Leverkusen manager this summer, 12 months before his contract expires.

“I owe great thanks to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, my players and staff, all the employees of the club and last but not least the fantastic fans,” Alonso said. “Our success was the result of an outstanding team performance.

“This club, who showed exceptional trust in me, very much deserved to win the German league title for the first time. My thanks and admiration go to everybody who helped to make this triumph happen including the DFB Pokal win in Berlin. Bayer 04 are ready for the future. The positive path will continue and I will be excited to follow it.”