The Spaniard Xabi Alonso was once considered one of the best midfielders in the world, and from today he officially begins his first senior coaching engagement.

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that Alonso will be their new leader. In Leverkusen, Alonso arrives to replace Gerardo Seoane, who has had poor results this season. Leverkusen has had a dismal start to the season in the Bundesliga and is in 17th position, which is certainly far from the club's ambitions.

For many, Leverkusen's decision to trust Alonso is surprising given that he has no senior coaching experience, and that he was a part of their great rival, Bayern Munich, as a player.

"I know the club, this is a great club from my time in Germany. Leverkusen has always had great players, and so it is now. This challenge excites me. "We agreed quickly and we have ambitious goals," said Alonso.

In his modest coaching experience, Alonso led the Real Sociedad B team, and spent one season with the under-14 generation in Real Madrid. As a player, he played five seasons in Liverpool, five in Real Madrid and three in Bayern.