WATCH: Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fans Revel In Celebrations On The Pitch After Bundesliga Triumph

July 1, 1904. On this day, Turn-und Spielverein Bayer 04 Leverkusen was founded. Almost 120 years later, on April 14, 2024, Bayer 04 Leverkusen won their first-ever top-flight title after beating Werder Bremen 5-0 at the BayArena. The moniker ‘Neverkusen’, given to them because of their history of failing to win any major titles, can finally be put to rest. They have Champions League, World Cup, La Liga, and Bundesliga-winning player Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen’s coach, to thank. Not to forget his army of players who epitomise the ‘never-say-die’ attitude.

It’s poetic how Xabi Alonso, who won a couple of Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich during the twilight of his playing career, helped Bayer Leverkusen break the Bavarian giants’ 11-year streak of winning the Deutsche Meisterschaft. And in such dominant manner at that.

Every single member of the Bayer Leverkusen squad deserves equal praise, who have embodied Xabi Alonso’s tactical philosophy and injected it in their veins as if they have been playing under the Spaniard for decades. To dethrone Bayern Munich is one thing. To do it while remaining unbeaten is a completely different level of feat.

And it’s not just Bundesliga where they are yet to taste defeat. They have been unbeaten in 43 games across all competitions and are still in the running to win the DFB-Pokal Cup and the UEFA Europa League, setting them up for a potentially historic treble.

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Historic scenes unfolded at BayArena as soon as the referee blew the final whistle. The fans rampantly ran on to the pitch and celebrated with the players, who had to be escorted by the security personnel. In no time, the entire pitch of BayArena was filled with Bayer Leverkusen faithful, who reveled in celebrations. There was seemingly no end to their joy, and why should there be? After all, it was a culmination of incredible amounts of hard work, team synergy, innumerable comebacks, and some effervescent football.

The work done by Xabi Alonso will certainly go down in the annals of footballing history. To take charge of a football club on an evidently unavoidable decline filled with players on different career trajectories and transform it into a champion side is, simply put, legendary.

With no prior coaching experience in senior football, sporting director Simon Rofles, CEO Fernando Carro, and chairman of the shareholders committee Werner Wenning placed faith in Xabi Alonso to turn things around at the BayArena, appointing him in October 2022.

At the time, Bayer were struggling in the Bundesliga, threatened by relegation as they languished in 17th place. By the end of the season, Alonso had imprinted his footballing philosophy on the squad and helped the Werkself finish in sixth place in Bundesliga to earn a European spot. Not just that, but he also handed a new lease of life to several players, who weren’t particularly enjoying their time in Germany. Deservedly, the Bayer Leverkusen fans were chanting Xabi Alonso’s name after Werder Bremen’s 5-0 thrashing.

In the span of 18 months, Xabi Alonso has completely changed Bayer Leverkusen. And guess what, he has already announced his decision to continue at the BayArena for another season. Sorry, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, you’ve got to approach someone else now.

Bayer Leverkusen still have a lot to play for in the final weeks of the season. They have a comfortable 2-0 lead over Premier League side West Ham United in the quarter-final of the Europa League. The second leg will take place on Friday, April 19, at West Ham’s London Stadium. They will face 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the final of the DFB-Pokal, which is slated to take place on May 25.