Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen are facing the challenge of proving they deserve a spot among Europe’s top soccer teams after ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year title streak in the German league last season.
Leverkusen has kept most of the key players from their unbeaten Bundesliga-winning team, which also won the German Cup and nearly captured the Europa League title. However, there are ongoing questions about how long key figures like Alonso and star player Florian Wirtz will remain with the club.
Alonso emphasized that the team’s success last year was exceptional, and they want to maintain it. “What we did last year was quite unique, so we had an idea that we wanted to be sustainable in our success,” he said. The real test will be on Saturday when Bayern Munich, led by Vincent Kompany, visits Leverkusen with an eight-point lead over Alonso’s team.
Alonso called the match “not a final,” but a win for Bayern would significantly hurt Leverkusen’s chances of defending their title. Alonso noted that Bayern under Kompany is a different team compared to the one they defeated 3-0 last year, with “many, many opponents” being dominated by Bayern. He listed players like Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala as examples of Bayern’s quality.
Alonso remains unbeaten against Bayern in five matches, including a 1-0 cup win in December, and has a tendency to surprise the Munich team with his tactics.
Building momentum
What does sustainable success look like for Bayer Leverkusen? Chief executive Fernando Carro believes that finishing in the Bundesliga’s top four every season, qualifying for the Champions League, and reaching the last 16 is a reasonable target.
Simon Rolfes talks at a media roundtable“I think it would be difficult having the resources we have in mind to be able to compete every year with Bayern Munich with three times more resources,” he said. “We want to challenge them, we want to fight for the titles every year, but we know that there’s a certain fluctuation. For us, sustainable means top four.”
Keeping the team together
When smaller teams win big trophies, their players are often quickly bought by wealthier clubs. But Leverkusen has managed to keep the core of Alonso’s squad intact, including attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, wing back Jeremie Frimpong, and Alonso himself.
The coach stayed with Leverkusen last year despite interest from Bayern and Liverpool, and he is contracted through next year. Alonso hasn’t commented on his long-term future but expressed his strong connection to the club, saying, “The team, the club, the environment, the special nights that we have had, the games in the stadium give you this energy, this top commitment to keep going.”
Managing director for sport Simon Rolfes believes the key to their success is keeping the focus on new goals. “It’s important for these ambitious guys to create an ambitious environment,” he said. He explained that Leverkusen uses its current players to attract new talent, such as the example of Kai Havertz.
Havertz’s move to Chelsea for over $90 million in 2020 was used to show players like Wirtz the potential for success at Leverkusen. “Everybody said: ‘If Kai Havertz will leave you, you will drop,’” Rolfes said. “We used it wisely to make a step up.”
