LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Xabi Alonso extended his contract as coach of German club Bayer Leverkusen through to 2026 on Friday after a strong first season led to speculation linking him with some of Europe's top teams.

Alonso, who won the Champions League as a player with Liverpool and Real Madrid and the World Cup with Spain, took over Leverkusen in October when it was second-to-last in the Bundesliga. The team finished the season in sixth and reached the semifinals of the Europa League.

“I see last season as a positive. But I want more, exactly as the club does. We are now working on that with ambition,” Alonso said in a statement.

His contract had previously been due to run out at the end of the 2023-24 season. The Leverkusen job is Alonso's first as coach of a senior team after stints in Spain with Real Sociedad's B-team and as a Real Madrid youth coach.

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