{"id":35640,"date":"2026-06-06T08:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/leverkusens-new-manager-carles-martinez-aims-to-build-on-xabi-alonsos-legacy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T08:24:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:24:26","slug":"leverkusens-new-manager-carles-martinez-aims-to-build-on-xabi-alonsos-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/06\/leverkusens-new-manager-carles-martinez-aims-to-build-on-xabi-alonsos-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Leverkusen’s new manager Carles Mart\u00ednez aims to build on Xabi Alonso’s legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) – Xabi Alonso’s legacy continues to loom large at Bayer Leverkusen. The team he now leads is Bundesliga title unlikely<\/span> He is trying to find success again under another Spanish coach.<\/p>\n

Carles Mart\u00ednez told the Associated Press that he wants to learn from Alonso’s example and Current Chelsea manager<\/span> but he wants to leave his mark on Leverkusen.<\/p>\n

It’s almost been a year since then Alonso leaves Leverkusen<\/span> Two games for Real Madrid, two after leading Leverkusen to the German title and a historic unbeaten run in the league.<\/p>\n

Martinez arrived from Toulouse amid hopes that he could turn things around after Leverkusen started the 2025-26 season under coach Erik ten Hag. Fire him after 3 games<\/span>then missed out on Champions League qualification under his successor Kasper Hjurmand.<\/p>\n

“One of the things I learned a lot is to accept reality and accept where you are. And here at Leverkusen, it’s normal for the Xabi Alonso brand to remain. What they did was great and we have to try to get a lot out of it,” he told The Associated Press on Friday.<\/p>\n

“But it’s also important that this is a year without Xabi Alonso. If you talk to him, I’m sure he’ll try to make it (the club) better. But most importantly, after a year, what type of things were great? , that Kasper (Yurmand) also has to learn what types of things he did and what types of things he can improve on. To continue to grow after that and continue to build the history of Leverkusen. “This is very, very important. \u201d<\/p>\n

Martinez said he wanted to focus on communicating with players and building team spirit, something that was heavily criticized during Ten Hag’s short spell last year.<\/p>\n

Martinez, who previously worked as a youth coach at Barcelona with the likes of young Gabi Simons and Xavi Simons, is keen to develop more young talent at Leverkusen, which has a reputation for producing top European players such as Kai Havertz and Florian Wirths.<\/p>\n

Leverkusen’s sporting managing director Simon Rolfes told The Associated Press that this offseason’s signings will focus on “more precise” changes to the team as they aim to stabilize the team after last season’s turmoil.<\/p>\n

“Last summer we had a big change in the team, a big change in key players, so we really had to re-build the team,” Rolfes said. “Certainly last summer there were a lot of question marks and that was a challenge. So I think we can take what we did last summer and use it this summer.”<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/soccer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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