Xabi Alonso has been confirmed as the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, following the dismissal of Gerardo Seoane.
Bayer have endured a torrid start to the campaign and are currently in the Bundesliga relegation zone after winning just one of the eight league games they've played so far this season. They were hammered 4-0 by an underperforming Bayern Munich last week and lost 2-0 to Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday in a calamitous performance.
As a result, Die Werkself have taken a punt on 40-year-old Alonso in what is his first job in senior football management, after retiring from playing back in 2017 and taking on youth roles since then.
The club confirmed on social media that Liverpool favourite Alonso would replace Seoane, who only took charge of the club ahead of the 2021/22 campaign and guided Leverkusen to a third place finish.
Alonso returned to former club Real Madrid after his 2017 retirement to manage their Under-14 side, before taking charge of Real Sociedad's B team the following year.
He won them promotion to the Segunda Division during his second season at the club, but could not keep them in the division and left at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Source : 90min