'It's hard to accept' - Xabi Alonso under fire again as second Bayer Leverkusen star admits he would have left if Real Madrid boss had stayed at Bundesliga side

The Czech striker admits that there were persistent issues with Alonso's choices, as the player was astonished to be left behind Victor Boniface in a crucial league game against Bayern Munich. The 29-year-old was brought on in stoppage time of the game and confronted Alonso on his decision regarding benching him as the match ended in a draw.

Schick is the second player coming out of Leverkusen's camp to share his disregard with Alonso's coaching methods. Earlier, winger Jonas Hofmann came out to criticise the Spanish manager for his ill-treatment and lack of clear and direct communication with the coach. The 33-year-old also stated that he would have considered leaving the club should Alonso have continued at BayArena.

Talking to Sport Bild about Alonso's decision to bench him, Schick said: "I think it was the decisive game of the season. Hindsight is always 20/20. We had to win, and when you have 20 goals on the bench, it's hard to accept not playing."

Schick further spoke about his conversation with Alonso regarding his strategy, saying: "Yes, I told him I was disappointed. But he was our boss. He made the decision, he had the responsibility. Sometimes you just have to accept things, and that's exactly what I did."

The 29-year-old admitted he would considered other options should Alonso had continued stating, "Assuming Xabi had stayed, we would have had to talk again, like last season. After that, I would have made a decision."

Schick remains integral to Leverkusen's future plans, with the club keen to extend his deal beyond 2027. Since Erik ten Hag's appointment as head coach, Schick feels both valued and hopeful about his role. Both parties are actively negotiating a contract extension, and the striker has publicly indicated his desire to stay.

Additional reporting by Daniel Buse.