Revealed: Bayer Leverkusen Boss Alonso on How He Stayed Cool Under Pressure Amid Unbeaten Run

Xabi Alonso describes how Bayer Leverkusen achieved their first-ever Bundesliga title, capping one of the biggest fairytales in football history.

Even supporters of Bayer Leverkusen would not have predicted at the beginning of the season that they would be celebrating the Bundesliga title, much less doing so with five games remaining in the schedule. But for Die Werkself, that is now a reality, and Alonso has discussed how he managed the strain of leading a team that was vying for their first league title while under pressure from Bayern Munich, the most successful team in Germany. In addition, he discussed about the “Neverkusen Curse,” which has caused the team to lose titles despite holding strong positions.

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Speaking to ESPN after the title win, Alonso said: “Well, it feels great because I have this feeling that this is not just for us, this is for so many people that have been chasing this dream for so many years. I have in mind the old coaches, Christoph Daum, Klaus Augenthaler, and Roger Schmidt. They were here and they are a part of it as well and for me, it’s so great to bring success and to be part of this success with this team.

“It is always special when it’s the time of everything and when it’s the first time of a Bundesliga title, that is the most difficult title probably. And I’m so happy to enjoy it with the players, with the fans, with the club and so many people that deserved to really, really enjoy that moment.

“The mentality of losing key matches? Because I was not here for so long, that was not in my veins so deep, so probably I was lighter. The weight of history wasn’t that heavy inside me. So I was hearing that, but I said, okay, let’s see what happens. And I had a feeling that this year we started from scratch, taking many right decisions, and building a great team, the club, Simon, Fernando, and Mister Menning, were really supportive. We had from the beginning of the season that it could be a good season, that we had a good team to play a good season.

“For sure the expectations, we have overcome the expectations and to play and to win Bundesliga, five games to go with our numbers, with the way we have played, with the way we have totally deserved most of the results, it’s unbelievable. It’s difficult to put in words, but all the credit to so many people and I’m really happy to be part of it.”

Leverkusen severed ways with Gerardo Seoane, who left them struggling for relegation eight games into the season, and hired Alonso halfway through the 2022–2023 campaign. Ultimately, Alonso’s leadership of the team to Europa League slots helped them turn around their fortunes. Following some hiring and additions, Leverkusen showed up for the league title match. Despite Bayern Munich’s patchy performance, they defeated Werder Bremen 5-0 to win the league.

Die Werkself may have taken first place in the league, but they still have a treble in front of them if they win the DFB Pokal and the Europa League. They’ll play their next Europa League match on Thursday, April 18, against West Ham.