Leverkusen CEO Carro believes coach Alonso will stay for a long time

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro believes that coach Xabi Alonso will stay at the Bundesliga club for the long term, despite alleged interest from big European clubs.

“In football, you can never say anything is 100% certain. But the probability is high,” Carro told dpa when asked if his Spanish compatriot Alonso will stay beyond the season.

“He’s not only good for us, he also sees the value in us to be able to develop at the highest level,” he added.

The former Spain midfielder took over with Leverkusen near the bottom last October but inspired a renaissance which culminated in a sixth-place finish.

They also reached the last four of the Europa League, despite missing main striker Patrik Schick for much of the campaign.

Alonso recently extended his deal until 2026, but his performance caught the attention of big , including his former team Real Madrid, and many fear he could transfer to the Spanish giants if they make an offer.

But Carro said that Alonso “already had offers from good clubs in the top leagues in the summer of 2022. But he waited until the right thing came along.

“Fortunately, with us he was convinced that it was the right moment. He’s intelligent and knows when he can take which steps.”

For Alonso, Leverkusen is his first job at a professional club, but Carro stressed that the coach “was clearly number one” in a list of possible candidates.

Under Alonso, after a good transfer window and a 3-2 win over German Cup winners RB Leipzig in their Bundesliga opener, Leverkusen are seen as a possible upsetter in the title race.

“I’m pleased with the good mood. But I know we can’t take anything from it. We had a good start against Leipzig. That was good, but the season is very long,” Carro said.