LEVERKUSEN (GERMANIA), 10 May. (dpa/ep) –
The sports director of Bayer Leverkusen, Simon Rolfes, is “calm” despite the rumors that place his coach, the Spanish Xabi Alonso, in the orbit of big European clubs such as Real Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur, since he believes that he will to fulfill the contract that binds him to the German entity until 2024.
“He has a contract, that’s why we’re calm. And we’re in close discussion about how we can develop the team for next year,” Rolfes said in statements prior to his team’s Europa League semifinal match against Roma.
The possible renewal of the contract of the San Sebastian is something that for now does not concern the German team. “First of all, we want to complete the season and try to get the most out of it. Then comes a long summer break during which these kinds of issues can be addressed,” he explained.
After catching the team in decline, Xabi Alonso has managed to place it sixth, in addition to qualifying it for the semifinals of the Europa League, where they will face off against José Mourinho’s Roma, Alonso’s former coach. If they go to the next phase, it would be the first European final for the Bundesliga team since the Champions League final they lost to Real Madrid in 2002.