Former Real Madrid midfielder replaces Seoane to assume his first managerial job at top level. Alonso, 40, has signed a deal until June In his first coaching job at the top level he takes over a team second from bottom after eight matches of the German season. This task excites me a lot. He also lifted the Champions League trophy with both Liverpool and Madrid.
Alonso scored the equaliser in the Champions League final for Liverpool to take the game to extra time, with the Reds eventually beating AC Milan on penalties. He managed Real Sociedad's reserve team in his home Basque region for three years until May, seeing them promoted to Spain's second tier for the first time in 60 years, before they were relegated at the end of last season.
Leverkusen confirmed the departure of Seoane in the wake of Tuesday's loss at Porto in the Champions League. Despite guiding the side to Champions League football with a third-placed finish last season, Leverkusen had struggled badly under the Swiss coach this campaign. They were eliminated by third-tier SV Elversberg in the first round of the German Cup and have won just once in the Bundesliga.
Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro said on Sunday he wanted "quick results" from Seoane, whose side were thrashed by Bayern Munich on Friday. Alonso finished his career at Bayern in , having won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons there.
He had previously been heavily linked with the coaching position at Borussia Moenchengladbach in March of , but signed a one-year extension in Spain. Alonso's first match in charge of Leverkusen will be against Schalke in the Bundesliga on Saturday. While recording a podcast with Nikhil Kamath, Johnson was forced to leave midway due to the unbearable AQI in the room.
