Bayer Leverkusen Hire Alonso As New Coach

German club Bayer Leverkusen has appointed former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso as new head coach.

Alonso replaces Gerardo Seoane, who was dismissed by the Bundesliga club on Wednesday.

A club statement released on Twitter read: “Bayer and Gerardo Seoane go their separate ways. World and European Champion Xabi Alonso becomes new head coach of the Werkself.”

Leverkusen confirmed the departure of the Swiss coach in the wake of Tuesday’s 2-0 loss at Porto in the Champions League.

Alonso had an illustrious career as a player which saw him win the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, as well as the Champions League trophy with both Liverpool and Madrid.

Since retiring in 2017, he managed Real Sociedad’s reserve team in his home Basque region for three years until May, seeing them promoted to Spain’s second tier for the first time in 60 years, before they were relegated at the end of last season.

Alonso’s first match in charge of Leverkusen will be against Schalke in the Bundesliga on Saturday.