Of “too much organizational work to give an interview” At “as independents, we do not communicate in the press”, groups of Bayer Leverkusen supporters, who could celebrate their first German championship title on Saturday April 16, turned away the curious at the start of the week in a manner that was as concise as it was polite. As if we should not tempt fate and awaken this curse which has always stuck this club from the west of the country in a position of eternal second (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2011).
The record unbeaten streak of 42 games (37 wins, 5 draws) that they stole from Bayern Munich, and the ability of Xabi Alonso’s men to snatch precious points at the end of the match, are not enough to reassure the spirits of lovers of a team whose legendary misfortune gave birth to a nickname: “Neverkusen” (“Visekusen” in German).
“Despite the 16-point lead, they are not calm. Leverkusen has a habit of screwing up in the home stretch, confirms Christophe Kuchly, journalist and co-author of several tactical works on football. It’s been a nice team to watch for 5, 10 years now, but we can compare them to Clermont in rugby, with this aura of kings of lost finals.”
An infernal pace to make Bayern crack
If they have not yet added a line to their meager record (1993 German Cup, 1988 UEFA Cup), many observers judge the 2024 vintage to already be greater than that of 2002, the reference year for the club ( 2nd in the Bundesliga, finalist in the German Cup and C1).
Still in contention on all three tables, the only team still undefeated in Europe, Leverkusen has the opportunity to considerably dust off its image on Saturday, if Bayern and Stuttgart lose, or even more likely on Sunday. A victory against Werder Bremen or a result identical to that of Bayern and Stuttgart, and the club would be assured of being champions for the first time in its history.
It would, in passing, put an end to the longest hegemony of a club in the five major championships on its national territory: eleven seasons that Bayern reigns over Germany. Only Juventus (9 consecutive titles) and Olympique Lyonnais (7) have come close to such domination. For Christophe Kuchly, it would also be very reductive and unfair to attribute this exceptional season to the opportunity left by Bayern during an eventful season.
“Even the best Bayern under Guardiola or Flick would have struggled to keep up.”
Christophe Kuchly, journalist and author specializing in footballat franceinfo: sport
With the long injury of its star striker Victor Boniface, author of a great start to the season, and significant absences in defense due to the African Cup of Nations, Leverkusen also had its share of challenges to overcome. “The gap between a team’s ceiling and floor level is often a problem in Germany, he observes. Big guys can go off the rails against a promoted guy. This season, Leverkusen’s is not very low. Like a Djokovic, even with an average level, he still wins.”
Xabi Alonso, providential guide of an offensive collective
A feat to be deciphered in the light of several factors. First there is this “high quality squad, with names that should gain weight in the future. In a few years, the season they are having will seem logical as was the case with Leicester (2014), which was carried by players who then confirmed at the highest level, Kanté, Mahrez…” The name of Bayer playmaker, Florian Wirtz, new nugget of German football, “surely already one of the best players in the world in his position”, is one to remember.
These talents are skillfully guided by former Spanish international Xabi Alonso, in a three-defender playing system, alongside wingers-pistons “to the aberrant success in the finish”. “They don’t have a 25-goal striker, danger comes from everywhere. They oppress the opposing team 80% of the time and always end up finding the fault,” Kuchly continues. As proof, in the Bundesliga, full-backs Alejandro Grimaldo (9 goals) and Jeremie Frimpong (8) make up the trio of most prolific scorers with Nigerian striker Victor Boniface (10).
This Bayer, inclined towards the offensive, is a fan of Trafalgar shots, almost mystical, in the sense that they allow precious points to be snatched from the gong when all seemed lost. An art, signature of big teams like Real or Manchester United during the Ferguson era. If the cause and effect link is difficult to quantify, the confidence and expertise of a Xabi Alonso who won everything as a player and rubbed shoulders with the greatest technicians of his time (Mourinho, Ancelotti, Guardiola), cannot be strangers to such success.
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Especially in 2022, when the former Madrid, Bayern and Liverpool midfielder takes the reins of the club, with only one season at the helm of the semi-professional reserve team of Real Sociedad, Leverkusen. is relegated. With him, the club begins a formidable rise to 6th place, before continuing with the season we are experiencing.
“Guardiola, Flick won in their first season with clubs of this stature, but to do it by changing countries, possibly by being undefeated the whole season, would be unprecedented.”
Christophe Kuchly, journalist and author specializing in footballat franceinfo: sport
“Obviously, we tend to be more attentive to someone with a CV like that,” Kuchly continues before pressing: “It’s easier to be given the keys to such a team, but I didn’t imagine such a season. It’s one of the most impressive coachings in recent years.”
Enough to have made Xabi Alonso, for a time, the priority of Bayern and Liverpool to take over from Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp. But the native of Tolosa chose to stay. “We built this whole thing in a year, and I didn’t want to ruin it by leaving. I told myself that abandoning the guys after only a year wouldn’t have been fair, and would have hurt me a bit.” , he told TNT Sports.
Record hunter, Xabi Alonso could make Leverkusen the first German club to capture the national crown without losing a single match. Enough to loosen the tongues of the most cautious supporters. With which they will be able to sing: forever the first.