Xabi Alonso will hope to bid farewell to Bayern Leverkusen with another record to add to his cap with the 2023/24 league champions hoping to defeat Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga final which would be their 34th away game in a row without defeat, a streak that has lasted over 2 seasons. If they can manage that on Saturday, they will break Bayern Munich’s league record of 33 away league games without a loss.
“Yes, in terms of football goals, for sure. It is very, very meaningful if we reach it. To have two whole seasons without an away defeat is special but it is not going to be easy. But we want to try until the last day. We had enough time to say farewell so we want to end with a good feeling for all,” Alonso said.
The Spaniard led Leverkusen to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double last season and in the current campaign they have remained unbeaten on the road. They will, however, finish in second place behind champions Bayern.
“I think that it is good to finish things properly and there is a right time for everything,” Alonso said when asked about his rumoured move to Real Madrid.
Alonso, a Champions League winner with Real and a World Cup hero with Spain, began his coaching journey with Real Madrid’s youth teams before rising through the ranks at Real Sociedad B. Since taking over a struggling Leverkusen side in October 2022, he’s transformed them into one of Europe’s most feared outfits, losing just once in 53 matches last season.
Meanwhile, current Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is all set to become the next Brazil national team manager after the Italian leaves the Spanish capital at the end of the current season, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced earlier this week. The 65-year-old has enjoyed four hugely successful years in his second tenure at the Spanish giants but they are set to finish this season without a trophy.
