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Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season, with the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder expected to join another of his old sides, Real Madrid.

"The 2024 German champions, cup winners, and Supercup winners have granted the Spaniard's request to terminate his contract, originally valid until summer 2026, after the end of this season," a statement from Bayer Leverkusen said.

"Bayer 04 will announce a successor as head coach in due course."

"I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bayer Leverkusen, my players and staff, everyone at the club, and, last but not least, the fantastic fans," Alonso said.

Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season, a year after links with Liverpool.

"Together with Xabi Alonso, we have written a success story the likes of which has never been seen before in German football, simply by winning the championship without a loss," Werner Wenning, the chairman of the Bayer 04 Shareholders' Committee, added.

"As a coach, he was always an outstanding ambassador, both for our club and for the entire Bundesliga.

We are very grateful to Xabi Alonso for that."

"The successes achieved under Xabi Alonso's leadership have earned Bayer 04 lasting recognition in the football world," Fernando Carro, Leverkusen CEO, said.

The German side was under threat of dropping into the second tier when he took over but then went a whole Bundesliga season unbeaten last year.

Sticking with Bayer Leverkusen even when he was tipped to move on last summer, the German side has been beaten to the league title by Harry Kane and Bayern Munich this time around