Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 7y

Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso to retire at end of season - report

Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso is planning to retire from professional football at the end of the season, Sport Bild reports, and it is claimed he has already informed the club's hierarchy about his decision.

Alonso, 35, has entered the final months of his current deal at Bundesliga leaders Bayern, the club he joined from Real Madrid in 2014.

"Of course, there's something in my head," Alonso was quoted by the outlet as saying when asked about his plans beyond the summer of 2017.

Citing its own sources, Sport Bild then claimed that Alonso already informed the club ahead of the winter break about his decision to retire after 18 years as a professional player in which he has won two Champions League titles, with Liverpool and Real Madrid, and a World Cup and European Championship with Spain.

However, Bayern, who handed Alonso a new one-year contract in late 2015, have not given up hope that the Spaniard might reconsider his decision especially since coach "Carlo Ancelotti is a huge fan of the key player," the outlet said.

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