New Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez aims to build on Xabi Alonso’s legacy

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — The legacy of Xabi Alonso still looms large at Bayer Leverkusen. Now the team he led to an unlikely Bundesliga title is trying to find success again with another Spanish coach.

Carles Martínez told the Associated Press he wants to learn from Alonso’s example, and might seek the now-Chelsea coach ‘s advice, but he wants to put his own imprint on Leverkusen.

It’s barely a year since Alonso left Leverkusen for Real Madrid, and two since he led Leverkusen to the German title and an historic unbeaten league season.

Martínez arrives from Toulouse amid hopes he can turn things around after Leverkusen started 2025-26 under Erik ten Hag, only to fire him after three games, then missed Champions League qualification under replacement Kasper Hjulmand.

“One thing I have learned a lot is to accept the reality, accept the place that you are (at), and here in Leverkusen it’s normal that the brand of Xabi Alonso (remains) because what they did was amazing and we have to try to take advantage of a lot of things from that,” he told the AP on Friday.

“But also it’s important that now it’s one year without Xabi Alonso. I’m sure that if I talk with him he will try to help (the club) to be better. But the most important is that after one year, come on, (I have to) learn about which type of things was amazing, which type of things Kasper (Hjulmand) did as well, and which type of things can improve, and after (that) it’s keep growing, keep building Leverkusen history. This is very, very important.”

Martínez said he wants to focus on communication with players and building team spirit — something that was much criticized during Ten Hag’s brief tenure last year.

Once a Barcelona youth coach who worked with a young Gavi and Xavi Simons, Martínez wants to develop more young talent at Leverkusen, which has a reputation for producing some of Europe’s top players like Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz.

Leverkusen sporting managing director Simon Rolfes told the AP he was aiming for stability in the squad after last season’s turmoil, and signings this offseason would focus on “more precise” changes to the team.

“Last summer was a massive change of the squad, massive change of key players. So we really needed to restart building the squad,” Rolfes said. “Last summer for sure there were so many question marks in so many things and that was a challenge, so I think we can take advantage this summer from the things we did last summer.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer