Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has confirmed that Xabi Alonso will be allowed to join Real Madrid this summer.
The Basque tactician is Los Blancos’ first candidate to take over from legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti. It has been a disappointing season for Madrid, and all signs point to the Italian leaving the club during the summer.
The exact timing of Ancelotti’s departure is not yet known. Last week, Sky Sports claimed that Ancelotti had already decided to retire after the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona at the weekend.
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The Athletic later confirmed that Ancelotti was indeed planning to leave the club to take over the Brazilian national team, but they would not set a specific date.
According to Relevo, the uncertainty is due to the Club World Cup, which complicates summer plans. If Real Madrid lose the final this weekend, Ancelotti could actually be sacked. If they win, he can stay to lead the team in the Club World Cup – unless he chooses to go before that.
Leverkusen boss confirms deal
Regardless of when Ancelotti leaves, it is clear that Alonso will take over at the Santiago Bernabéu this summer – unless he surprisingly chooses to stay at Leverkusen.
However, this seems unlikely, as he has so far avoided making statements that could be interpreted as a clear commitment to the Bundesliga club.
Leverkusen boss Fernando Carro – who is also a passionate Real Madrid supporter – has now confirmed that the German club will not stand in Alonso’s way if he wants to take over the job at Madrid.
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“A decision has to be made in the next three to four weeks. We can’t wait for the season to be over,” Carro told Relevo during the Laureus ceremony in Madrid.
“We will know before the end of the season. If another club is interested and he wants to leave, we have to talk about it. We can speculate a lot, but right now there is nothing concrete.”
“We have a very good relationship with Real Madrid. It is an open collaboration between two clubs that respect each other. We have a gentleman’s agreement: if a club he has played for comes to us, we will sit down and talk – without putting any obstacles in our way.”
When Carro was also asked by Sky Germany about his personal feelings about the matter, he replied that the chances of Alonso staying are “50-50”.
