Xabi Alonso says he will remain in his role as Bayer Leverkusen manager next season as he believes the club is the “right place” to be as a young coach.
The Spaniard had been heavily linked with the manager’s job at Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp said he would stand down at the end of the season.
“I am convinced it is the right decision, I am happy,” said Alonso.
Leverkusen are on the brink of a first Bundesliga title and unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, 42, was also seen as a candidate to take over at another of his old clubs Bayern Munich, whose manager Thomas Tuchel will also leave at the end of the campaign.
Alonso said he had informed Leverkusen’s directors of his decision to stay at the club last week.
“We have had a lot of speculation regarding my future,” he said. “Until now we have had so many games, been pretty busy and focused, and I wanted to reflect during the international break and take a decision.
“The players gave me so many reasons to keep believing in the team – for their commitment, for their desire, for their hunger to have a great season. My job is not over here.”
Signed from Real Sociedad in 2004, Alonso went on to make 210 appearances for Liverpool and won the Champions League with the club in 2005.
He left in 2009 to join Real Madrid – another team he has recently been linked with – and moved to Bayern five years later before retiring as a player in 2017.
Asked about interest from two of his former clubs, Alonso said: “It wouldn’t be correct of me to talk about other clubs when they are in this situation. For sure there are clubs I have a strong link [as] I played there. So I respect them.
