Written by: Theodore, Reporter in ISFM
Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso and prior to 2023-2024:
From their own fans calling them Neverkusen, Xabi Alonso, surmounting Bayern Munich and Mussiala, this is how Bayer Leverkusen lifted the Bundesliga for the first time in their history and in so doing something that never had happened in the past decade for any club.
Neverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen, who had built up a reputation for never winning, was at its peak in 2002. They almost looked like they were going to win the league, but bottled their final games, finishing in second place. They had fallen short so many times during the title race (7 times) that their own fans gave up on them. They chanted in the stands: “We will never be champions”. Even the merch was based around second place.
Bayern Munich, the king of the Bundesliga
Bayern Munich; the German club who had won the past 10 league titles and 3 others, the biggest, richest club of the country. They won everything, it was an obligation. So how were Bayer Leverkusen going to beat a football giant, who, just to remind you, won the league in-a-row since 2013. One man: Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
The arrival of Xabi Alonso in October of 2022 was the start of a new managerial era. Xabi was no normal person. Not only was a coach but also was a former FC Barcelona Midfielder, which is a good position to watch a game. This is also why most managers were former players who played in CM spot or CDM: Pep Guardiola (CDM), Jose Mourinho (CM although a short career), Zinedine Zidane (CM), and of course, Xabi (CM). This gives them the experience and knowledge of both the attacking and defensive phase.
Xabi’s 2 seasons at Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi’s First Season
Although he and Bayer Leverkusen finished 6th in the Bundesliga with 50 points, 21 points of Bayern, Xabi had a decent season, but lost his debut match. And it wasn’t a big team, it was a small village club. They took 4 goals and lost by a goal. A terrible start… At the end of the season, the club had won 14 games, drawn 8 and lost 12. That was much unlike the previous manager who bottled his first games and started already in 17th out 18th spot. Finishing in 6th meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League next season.
New signings and instructions
With the new summer transfer window, Xabi used it to sign Alejandro Grimaldo, a left back, Granit Xhaha, the new captain, and Matěj Kovář. With these new players, he could finally create change. He instructed the players to be aggressive, when defending, and play a more possession based counter-attacking style. He also found out that the club used a five-in-the-back system with wing-backs who were encouraged to stay behind. This completely defies the purpose of a wing-back, who helps the winger, whilst still keeping the role of a right back. Now instead of keeping the 5-2-3 format, Xabi Alonso opted for a 3-4-3. Now, he had his team ready for the season to come.
The greatest season in Bundesliga history.
Although they weren’t the favorites, that would change quickly. You remember the small village who they had lost to 4-3? Well they had a bit of fun: 8-0. They were only amateurs, but their next opponent was a top team from the Bundesliga: RB Leipzig. Luckyly, they put up a show, winning the game. This started to draw attention to Xabi’s new project, but Bayern was still considered the favorites. Approaching the mid-season break (or Winter Break) in December, the team acquired a total 45 points, following the 17 games that were played. Throughout this season, the team faced Bayern Munich, still staying invincible. By the end, Bayer Leverkusen were crowned champions of Germany, with a total of 90 points, cementing Bayer Leverkusen with the greats of the Bundesliga. In the German cup, Leverkusen performed like in the Bundesliga Campaign, also lifting the cup. But this story has a sad ending, with Leverkusen reaching the Europa League finals and facing Atlanta, a club in the Italian Serie A, defeating them 3-0 and ending their 51 games streak.
Written by: Theodore, Reporter in ISFM
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