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.”
Liverpool boss Klopp says he can relate to Alonso’s decision to stay at Leverkusen and cited his own experiences as a manager.
“He is doing an incredible job there,” said the German. “Leverkusen has a good team and they will probably keep the team together. That’s a possibility and not all years it is like that, so I understand that he wants to do that.”
Before his move to Liverpool in 2015, Klopp started his managerial career with Mainz before leading Borussia Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.
“Being at a club in a similar situation [to Alonso], I did pretty much the same and I never regretted it,” he said.
