Before last season, German football was dominated by FC Bayern Munich for a long time. Bayern were always favorites to win the Bundesliga Betting on football to the pure performance orientation that they have imposed on the league.

After Jamal Musiala scored a late goal against Cologne in 2023, Bayern grabbed their 11thTh They won back-to-back titles away from Borussia Dortmund and many thought their dominance would never end.

Until Xabi Alonso came to Bayer Leverkusen. When the Spaniard took over in October 2022, the club was at the bottom of the table and fears of relegation were very real. However, Alonso brought a sense of calm and confidence that soon permeated the entire team.

Drawing on his own illustrious playing career – in which he was coached by some of the greatest of all time, including Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola – he combined all the philosophies to build a winning mentality at Leverkusen.

His tactical skills enabled the team to play attractive attacking football while maintaining defensive stability – qualities that helped them quickly rise up the table. Despite all odds, Leverkusen secured a European Cup place in his first season as coach, completing a remarkable turnaround.

For a long time, Leverkusen was considered the almost men of German football. The Werkself have repeatedly come very close to glory in the past, but failed at the final hurdle. The 2001-02 season was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all.

Klaus Toppmöller’s team seemed to be on the way to a historic treble: they led the Bundesliga, reached the DFB Cup final and reached the Champions League final. However, they ended that season empty-handed, losing all three competitions. This collapse became a symbol of the club’s misfortune, and dark times followed as they struggled to shake off the “Neverkusen” label.

That’s where Alonso comes into play, who took the team from perennial favorites to champions. The 2023/24 Bundesliga season was a dream season for Leverkusen and its fans as Alonso created an exciting, attacking team that entertained both the entire Bundesliga and the fans in the BayArena. His group would win the Bundesliga undefeated.

Alonso also livened up the defense, with Edmond Tapsoba and Jonathan Tah forming a rock-solid team at the back, while goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was outstanding when needed.

In addition, the attacking duo of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface flourished under Alonso’s leadership, with Wirtz in particular demonstrating his creativity and vision when he named Harry Kane as Bundesliga Player of the Season, who, although he managed to score 44 goals in his debut season, failed to do so Not preventing Bayern from capitulating under Thomas Tuchel.

Bayern’s inconsistency coincided with Leverkusen’s ability to win games late. After a stunning 4-1 win against Tuchel’s side, they returned from the winter break in the polls and used this performance to fight their way to the title. Late goals against Frankfurt and Union Berlin kept their winning streak alive, while good cup form ensured they reached the finals of the DFB Cup and Europa League.

While the championship title was already decided in just a few games, the Europa League defeat against Atalanta in Dublin prevented a perfect season for Leverkusen.

Alonso’s side were not in the running against the Italians and a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman was too much on the night for their first defeat in 53 games. However, victory in the DFB Cup rounded off the double in a hard-fought duel against second division team Kaiserslautern.

The unbeaten run in the league would finally come to an end this season and RB Leipzig would become the first team in 462 days to beat Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. But they can look back on this record with pride.

They overcame years of heartache to emerge not only as champions but as invincibles, breaking Bayern’s stranglehold over German football. Having retained the core of his squad – even though many of them are linked to Europe’s top clubs – the BayArena will be hoping to add more silver medals to their cabinet soon. With Alonso at the helm, the future looks bright for this once “almost” club.