Jeremie Frimpong enjoyed the moment to the fullest. The right winger from Bayer Leverkusen was grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t seem to notice that the stewards had to use great force to shield him while the fans tried to get close to him. He didn’t even notice it, seemed completely removed. At some point the stewards had to give up, the supporters broke through, picked Frimpong up, threw him in the air and caught him again – while he was filming a selfie video. He was floating.
Beer showers, hugs and constant tears of joy. The first championship in Leverkusen’s history produced so many emotional images that this club had hardly expected – not the plastic club that the club had often been ridiculed as in the past decades.
But perhaps this title win, which no one had expected at the start of the season, was celebrated so enthusiastically for that very reason. “We’ll let the evening take its course, but I think it’ll be quite long,” said Robert Andrich, one of the team’s party animals. The midfielder, the man for the rough in the Bundesliga’s best soccer team, was aware that he had written history – and that he could write a history whose end is not yet in sight. Because there are still two more chances for the title. On Thursday the team will play the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals at West Ham United. Leverkusen won the first leg 2-0. On May 25th the DFB Cup final will take place against second division team Kaiserslautern. The triple is possible.
Champion maker: Coach Xabi Alonso has freed Bayer Leverkusen from trauma
What: AFP
It could be a season of superlatives. The 5-0 (1-0) over Werder Bremen, with which Leverkusen were able to secure the cup, was the 43rd unbeaten competitive game in a row. 37 of them were won. Leverkusen, of all teams, which was fighting against relegation a year and a half ago, has broken Bayern’s years of dominance. Andrich had a clear message for young football fans who have not known any other champion than Bayern in the past eleven years: “Now is Bayer time. Now you finally have a good German master.”
Satisfaction for the grandees
On Sunday, however, it still felt a bit unreal so shortly after the final whistle. “It’s indescribable, everything flows through your head. I would never have dreamed of achieving this in my first year here,” said Jonas Hofmann, who only arrived last summer. He couldn’t say exactly when he first believed it was possible. Probably after the 3-0 home win over Bayern on February 10th, when the lead over the record champions was extended to five points. It was then clear to him that “historical” things could be achieved.
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“We will still need a little time to realize what we have achieved,” said Xabi Alonso. The master trainer, otherwise cool personified, was deeply moved – and completely soaked. He received his beer shower in the dressing room where the players had taken refuge after the storming of the pitch – and another during the press conference. “This is a special day for everyone, including everyone who used to work for this club,” he said: “Great players, great coaches were here. This success belongs to many.”
“It was really unbelievable how they celebrated here”
Bayer Leverkusen wins the first championship in club history after a furious season. After the final whistle there was no stopping in the stadium and on the streets of Leverkusen: a city in a state of emergency. Reporter Paul Klinzing was right in the middle and summarized the historic Bundesliga day.
The fact that Alonso, of all people, remembered the people who had to go through difficult times and bitter defeats in the 45 years of Leverkusen’s Bundesliga history caused a stir. The factory club had narrowly missed out on winning the championship five times, and twice it was particularly traumatic: in 2000, the title was lost on the last match day under Christoph Daum, and again two years later, this time under Klaus Toppmöller. At that time, the final of the Champions League and the DFB Cup final were subsequently lost. The images of Reiner Calmund crying are burned into our minds. On Sunday, the long-time manager shed tears again – with joy as he posed for a photo with Alonso in the catacombs.
It was also a day of satisfaction for the old grandees. “At least no one will say to Vicekusen anymore that it’s over. And regardless of that: an era can also be started,” said Rudi Völler. As a young sports director, he had to experience the failure of 2000. Later, as team boss of the national team, he saw how the great Leverkusen team collapsed from 2002 onwards.
Leverkusen wants more
This shouldn’t be the case this time. Almost all service providers have long-term contracts. Florian Wirtz, who eliminated the last doubts with three goals on Sunday, should also be retained. Above all, Xabi Alonso remains on board. The 42-year-old had resisted the advertising of the competition – including that of Bayern. This is given him great credit. “It’s an honor for me to work here,” he said again on Sunday.
In addition to his professional skills and his charisma, it is above all this realistic self-assessment that makes Alonso exceptional. Despite his success, he is aware that he is still at the beginning of his coaching career. In 2018, he took over Real Madrid’s U17 team for a year and then coached Real Sociedad San Sebastian’s second team for three years. In October 2022, Simon Rolfes, Völler’s successor, brought him to Leverkusen. At that time, Bayer was in second to last place. “It’s my first full season as a coach, maybe everything happened too quickly for me, but I’m enjoying it,” said Alonso. He is convinced that even more is possible with this team – also in the coming season.
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Everyone in Leverkusen believes in that. “I feel the greed of the team and the coach. We are all extremely ambitious and don’t want to stop,” said Fernando Carro. The chairman of the management gratefully acknowledged the congratulations from the competition, including those from Munich – but also responded with a declaration of war: they will by no means be satisfied with this championship. “History owed Bayer Leverkusen the trophy,” said Carro: “But we won’t stop.”
Xabi Alonso stands for this above all. After the celebrations, he wants to focus on the upcoming tasks from Tuesday. On Monday night he received a message that must have relieved him greatly. The storm did not cause any lasting damage. Georg Schmitz, the Bayer 04 greenkeeper, posted: “The grass has survived.” It can continue.