Here’s how Xabi Alonso shaped the Bayer Leverkusen wonder

‘Auf Wiedersen’. See you. BundesBayern or BayernLiga – depending on your preference – is now history. The myths about “Neverkusen”, “Lozerkusen”, “Vicekusen”… are also left behind.

The team is chaired Spaniard Fernando Carro, trained by Xabi Alonso and marked from the green by Alejandro Grimaldo and Borja Iglesias banished forever the legend of the “dolls” surrounding Bayer (without the n) to end the tyranny of Bavaria that had shackled 11 successive “Saladniks”. A streak, the longest streak of all time in the top flight, which, oddly enough, was contributed by Alonso himself, who won three Salad Bowls during his time at Allianz as a player: 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016. -17.

“To be honest, we would prefer to solve this ourselves on the pitch,” Xabi warned on Friday. before the victories of Bayern and Stuttgart prevented them from “singing Aliron” without playing and watching it on TV. “Fortunately, this is not the only opportunity we have to become champions, but we are playing at home and want to take advantage of the first ball,” he added.

No sooner said than done. This time, unlike in the 1999/00 season, when they lost to the Salad Bowl on the final day due to a Ballack own goal, or in the 2001/02 season, when they saw the League, Cup and Champions in period 15 days, Bayer Leverkusen made the right decision.

Habineta defeated Werder Bremen (5-0) BayArena (30,210 spectators) is bursting at the seams to win its first league! of your story… five days left. They are 16 points ahead of Bayern and Stuttgart. An important milestone for the team that Bayer pharmaceutical workers founded for fun – it is one of two exceptions to the 119-year-old 50+1 rule in Germany. “Football owes the Champions League to Atlético Madrid and the League to Leverkusen,” Fernando Carro said this to MARCA last summer. He already has it. After five runners-up finishes, it will take a privileged place alongside the UEFA Cup won against Espanyol in 1987–88 and the German Cup won in 1992–93.

Football owes the Champions League to Atlético Madrid and the League to Leverkusen

Fernando Carro, CEO of Leverkusen

“We have to end Bayern’s hegemony, because the same team winning the League 11 years in a row is not the best option,” admitted the Bayern CEO. His act of overthrowing the “Bavarian Empire” is worthy of “Asterix and Obelix.” Among the 18 teams that make up the Bundesliga, Leverkusen is the third city with the smallest population (163,000) and its budget, the fourth largest in the Bundesliga (250 million), is three times less than that of Bayern (780). .

As if that weren’t enough, when Alonso made his debut on the First Division bench a year and a half ago, the team was in decline. A “fairytale” that, while keeping its distance, has certain parallels with the one that starred Leicester when they won the 2015-16 Premier League. Now, after Bayern and Liverpool refused to extend their contract until 2026, “Habi I from Germany” put him in first place. Long live the king.

Record champion

It doesn’t matter what, but also how. Bayer Leverkusen are on track to emulate Wenger’s Arsenal. He can finish the championship without losing a single game. In fact, they are the only team in Europe to remain unbeaten in all competitions, with 37 wins and six draws from 43 games.

The victory over Werder Bremen, in addition to the Salad Bowl, brought two new records under its belt. Leverkusen (29 games) surpassed the record for most games without defeat since the start of the league, set by Guardiola’s Bayern (28) in the 2013–14 season. It’s curious: only this team (27th round) sang the aliron earlier than Xabi Alonso’s team.

Not only this. They equaled the 43 games Juventus went unbeaten in 2011/12. an absolute record in the history of European football, and they are going to do better.

Bayer, who lost just eight points in the League, have already broken their record for points (79), wins (25) and goals (69) and are still He has five days to continue improving himself.

Chasing three

Die Werkself, with the league already in its pocket, sees a treble on the horizon that was unimaginable at the start of the season… but is becoming increasingly feasible. Ten games at best separate him from the Triple Crown.

Xabi Alonso will use the remaining five Bundesliga games to take a break… without losing the competitive intensity. They also reached the Cup final – they will face Kaiserslautern from the Second Division – and defeated West Ham (2-0). in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals. If they had reached the final, they would have had four more games to play. Neverkusen is now called Winnerkusen.

champion’s word

Alonso, after swimming in beer, talked to MARCA: “Every game is special. I really enjoyed Sanse’s promotion, It was something special, but this title, already at the highest level, is incredible. We made history for Leverkusen by winning the Bundest for the first time. It’s delicious and now is the time to celebrate. We deserve it. Not only because of the results, but also because of how to do it.”

We make Leverkusen history by winning the Bundesbund for the first time

Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen coach

The euphoria was such that the invasion came before the end. Up to 20,000 people were still at the BayArena two hours after the game, forcing players to come out to the penalty area to cheer, sing… “Viva Spain” blared over the public address system in honor of its heroes. The party must go on.