Bayer Leverkusen have fired coach Gerardo Seoane and replaced with him with Xabi Alonso.
The Bundesliga club said Wednesday that they had “parted ways” with the Swiss coach and appointed the 40-year-old former Spain midfielder, who was to be given a contract through June 2024.
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Seoane’s last game in charge was a 2-0 loss at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday, days after his team were routed 4-0 at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Sources told ESPN on Tuesday that Alonso had emerged as a leading candidate to replace Seoane over the last week.
Alonso had been out of work since leaving Real Sociedad B in May after a successful three years in charge. Sources told ESPN that he would welcome the challenge of turning around Leverkusen’s season.
Leverkusen are second from bottom in the German league with just five points from the opening eight rounds. Seoane’s team were also knocked out in the first round of the German Cup by third-division team SV Elversberg.
Seoane led Leverkusen to third place in the Bundesliga last season after joining from Swiss team Young Boys in 2021.
Leverkusen said they would present Alonso at a news conference on Thursday.
