MADRID, 22 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The sporting director of Bayer Leverkusen, Simon Rolfes, trusts this Monday that the coach of the German team, Xabi Alonso, will fulfill his contract and remain on the bench because “he knows what he has at the club”, although he acknowledged that “there will be changes in the future”, to which they must “react”.
The Spaniard, in his first big job as head coach, has taken Leverkusen from the bottom of the table to the top of the Bundesliga in 18 months. A job after which he has been linked to some of his former clubs, such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
His hypothetical arrival on the Madrid bench would have been complicated after the Italian Carlo Ancelotti recently extended his contract with Real Madrid, like Alonso himself with Leverkusen, until 2026.
And Bayer insisted that the continuity of the Basque coach is not a problem currently. “Surely there will be changes in the future and we will have to react to them, but that is not our goal at the moment,” Rolfes said in statements to the Transfermarkt portal in Germany.
“We are convinced that the coach and many of the players know what they have at the club,” explained the former footballer, who defended that Leverkusen “is ambitious and is doing everything possible to improve the team.” “There is an environment here in which many people enjoy working. We are calm and in a good position on all issues,” he said.
The manager confessed that Xabi Alonso is an “important pillar” in the project and his renewal before the start of this season until 2026 was “a good sign for the team.” “That Xabi's commitment came before the start of the season was of great importance, the coach is a central aspect for the players. Not everyone jumps at the first opportunity that is presented to them,” he praised.
Leverkusen is the leader of the Bundesliga and the only team in the competition that remains undefeated after 18 rounds. Furthermore, their cushion over the current champion, Bayern Munich, is seven points, although the Bavarians have one game less. Both teams face each other on matchday 21, next February 10 at 6:30 p.m.