A transfer with a lot of risk: Xabi Alonso hurts Bayer, but he had to do it

The final curtain has fallen in this grueling drama: Xabi Alonso has announced, before his final home game, that he will leave Bayer Leverkusen. The move is understandable, even if what is likely to come carries a great risk.

It would have been strange if nothing had happened this Friday. If Bayer 04 Leverkusen had stumbled into their final home game of the season this Sunday against Borussia Dortmund (3:30 p.m. on DAZN and in the ntv.de live ticker) with the unspoken certainty that coach Xabi Alonso would be leaving the club. Everything had been pointing to this for weeks, for months. And when the newspaper "Marca" threw its front page at the world on Friday with the happy news that the 43-year-old was taking over Real Madrid and signing a contract until 2028, nothing could have stopped it.

Now, Bayer Leverkusen and their coach are finally getting the emotional ending they've deserved since October 2022, when Xabi Alonso began writing an incredible success story. He had broken Bayer's tormenting shackles of the past when he made them champions last summer. The eternal burden of "Vizekusen" suffering was shattered with a thunderous thud on the hard concrete beneath the Bayer Cross. The thunder of relief resounded throughout Europe. Leverkusen had not only won a title, they had also become the first team to go unbeatable in the Bundesliga for a season.

Football Europe could only marvel

The self-absorbed FC Bayern was dethroned, Bayer was dancing. And in doing so, they developed a level of fitness that one could only marvel at week after week. Only when the DJ played the last tracks before the lights went down did Leverkusen seem to truly unleash their full potential. Xabi Alonso's men turned countless games into long, even very long, stoppages. This earned the Werkself far more flattering nicknames than the much-disliked "Vizekusen." Bayer suddenly became "Late-Night-kusen" or "Laterkusen."

It was a journey that seemed never-ending. Even though everyone knew it would end. The team could never maintain that level. In their obsession with finishing the season undefeated, the team continually excelled. So many players who had yet to win major titles were willing to give their all and even more to make the historic feat possible. And if Atalanta Bergamo hadn't been too vigilant in the Europa League final, it would have been a truly perfect season.

What else could have happened this season? Yes, triumph in the Champions League. But other than that? Football doesn't allow sensational stories to be copied. And so, a season that was good, but not very good, now comes to an end. Bayer Leverkusen had transformed from an omnivorous monster into a predator whose appetite was no longer so unrestrained. What will happen next? We only know part of it.

A gigantic task awaits at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso is no longer with the club. He actually announced his departure this Friday. He will be moving to Real Madrid. Anything else would be a minor sensation. However, before they make their presence known, the Royal Club must first negotiate the departure of their legend Carlo Ancelotti. Among other things, the question that needs to be clarified is whether he is leaving of his own free will or whether his departure is a sign of dismissal. In that case, he is entitled to a severance payment. Real Madrid apparently wants to avoid the large payout.

As painful as Xabi Alonso's departure is for Bayer and the Bundesliga, it is also understandable. The 43-year-old, who was still an unknown as a coach, has built a monument to himself. No one at Leverkusen had achieved what he had achieved. He had quickly become too big for him. Like so many of his players, whom he had improved along the way. Of course, the Werkself are a force to be reckoned with in Germany and Europe. But they are not (yet) on the top shelf. But that shelf does include Alonso, Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah and all the others. And they now have the chance to take the next step.

And Alonso has always been honest, naming his former clubs Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, and Bayern Munich as the places he'd longed for to pursue a coaching career. Now, at Real Madrid, of all places, a huge opportunity has arisen. He'll (likely) take over a team that's practically tripping over its own feet in terms of talent. But one that hasn't found stability in a hierarchical vacuum. Without Toni Kroos, not much has happened this season, especially considering the club's standards. Maestro Ancelotti was accused of a certain fatigue during the rebuilding process.

Alonso irritates with personnel decisions

Alonso is now taking the biggest step a coach can take. And in doing so, he's also taking a bit of a risk. In the 2023/24 season, he created a gigantic fall. He was the man who found solutions for everything, who seemingly could do no wrong. This perfect image suffered a few minor dings this season. Not all decisions were understandable anymore. And with his constant evasion on questions about the future, despite all due understanding for the situation, he did himself no favors. The universally respected gentleman had initiated a game of time that was exhausting and annoying. For everyone.

But it was primarily the sporting decisions that somewhat disenchanted him: especially the decision not to field a true number nine in the big games against FC Bayern. With Patrick Schick and Victor Boniface, he had two outstanding players in his ranks. Schick, in particular, reacted angrily. He wasn't the only player with pent-up frustration. Jonas Hofmann and Robert Andrich would also have liked to play more.

Leverkusen, as far as we know, doesn't have any super-sized divas in the squad. Madrid, on the other hand, does. There's probably no other place in world football where more gigantic egos are concentrated. There's a Vinicius Junior, a Kylian Mbappé, a Jude Bellingham. And there are so many more. Xabi Alonso's advantage: As a world-class player, he's familiar with the world's biggest dressing rooms. He knows what makes these giants tick. But he hasn't coached them yet.

What is happening in Leverkusen?

And what's happening at Leverkusen? The search for a successor is underway. Erik ten Hag is highly regarded, but apparently carries lavish salary expectations from his time at Manchester United. Cesc Fabregas is said to have made a strong impression in talks. The World and European champion coaches newly promoted Italian side Como 1907, and Bayer executives are said to see similar potential in the 38-year-old Spaniard as Alonso.

In addition to the coaching question, Bayer also faces numerous squad issues. Defensive leader Tah has made it perfectly clear that he's leaving for good this summer. Concerns about Florian Wirtz's move from Munich are growing ever closer. He is reportedly in agreement with FC Bayern on a transfer. Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, two key players from the Alonso era, have also publicly stated that they are open to new opportunities. Grimaldo would like to return to his native Spain.

"We as a club are extremely ambitious and will have a top coach and assemble a top team again next season," said sporting director Simon Rolfes on the day of Xabi Alonso's announced departure. "There will be a breath of fresh air in the squad; we want to create a new dynamic. Many players, many important players, will stay. And we will also bring in good players." But first, let's say goodbye, on Sunday.