Xabi Alonso (Tolosa, 1981) experienced his first great night as a coach in the Champions League – he debuted with a defeat against Porto (0-3) – at the Metropolitano. A 2-2 against Atlético, after the triple failure in the 99th minute by Carrasco, Saúl and Reinildo, penalty and crossbar included, would end up certifying, on the last day of the group stage, the elimination of the red and whites… and Bayer Leverkusen’s pass to the Europa League.
A lot has changed since that October 26, 2022, especially at Leverkusen, which, at that time, was fourth from bottom in the Bundesliga, just one point above promotion and two above relegation. Of the eleven that Xabi Alonso fielded against Atlético, only five ‘survivors’ remain in the squad: Hrádecky, Tapsoba, Hincapie, Andrich and Frimpong. Kossounou, Amiri, Bakker, Diaby, Hudson-Odoi and Hlozek have said ‘auf wiedersehen’ to the BayArena.
The eleven that Xabi Alonso presented in 2022 against Atlético compared to the eleven he could take on this occasion.Footmod.
The Leverkusen coach only had one victory, against Schalke (4-0) in his debut, in the first seven games. “I enjoy our current situation, but bad times help you get to know people better. When he arrived, we were in a delicate situation in the League. There were several months of uncertainty until the team ‘clicked’. I would highlight Xabi’s personality and his way of leading. He has brought a style of play that fits perfectly to the team,” Simon Rolfes, sports director of the ‘aspirin team’, told MARCAS.
Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director is optimistic about his coach’s continuity next season
The biggest change, needless to say, has occurred at the level of results. Already in Xabi Alonso’s first season, the team led by the Spanish Fernando Carro managed to come back to finish sixth in the League and reach the semifinals of the Europa League.
Xabi Alonso: “Now I feel that the team is more mine”
Diaby – he had just scored 14 goals and distributed 11 assists – was transferred to Aston Villa for 55 million, but the foundations for success had been laid and Xabi Alonso knew how to cover up the team’s ‘shortcomings’ with the signings of Boniface, Grimaldo and Xhaka .
“Last season I arrived in the middle of the course and you have to adapt. Now we have time to work and design the squad and you feel that the team is more yours. Players with different profiles have arrived and we have the flexibility to change the system. I am happy with the work that the club has done in the market,” warned the former Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern player already in preseason.
Xabi does not stop in training: the Bayer Leverkusen coach does not stop correcting and intervening to give advice and correct errors
“I have always liked to control the games, but it is not easy because the Bundesliga is frenetic. We want to be a dynamic team, that plays attractive football and that, at the same time, is intense, knows how to endure results and that defensively does not be fragile,” Alonso insisted.
We want to be a dynamic team that plays attractive football and, at the same time, is intense, knows how to withstand results and is not defensively fragile.
Xabi Alonso
The truth is that not even Xabi was able to guess his team’s ‘ceiling’: “The goal in the League is to finish in the ‘top 4’ and get into the Champions League. In the Cups we want to go as far as possible.”
Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Borussia Mönchedgladbach: summary and goals | Bundesliga (J18)
What came next is well known. Leverkusen won its first Bundesliga in 120 years of history, won the Cup… and lost the Europa League final after remaining undefeated for 51! matches. “No one could imagine a year ago that we would be here, but we deserved it, not only for the result but for the way we did it,” ‘XA’ stressed.
We deserved it, not only for the result but for the way we did it.
Xabi Alonso
The fittest team in Europe
Leverkusen started the season by winning the Super Cup against Stuttgart (on penalties), but they paid, at the beginning of the season, for the extra effort they made to remain undefeated last season: they scored 18 goals!!! from minute 90 onwards.
It was difficult for them to get going, but now they can boast, after Atlético’s defeat in Leganés (1-0), of being the fittest team in Europe: they have 11 wins in all competitions and have only suffered three defeats since March 2023 ! Against Liverpool (4-0), against Leipzig (2-3) and against Atalanta (3-0).
The team led by Xabi Alonso, who still have not lost against the Bavarians, took advantage of Neuer’s expulsion in the first half
“After the break we will return at full speed. We are on the right path. We have gone ‘in crescendo’ and we have positive feelings,” acknowledged Xabi Alonso before the winter break.
We are on the right path. We have gone ‘in crescendo’ and we have positive feelings
Xabi Alonso
The improvement experienced by three of its basic pillars (Xhaka, Wirtz and Grimaldo) has been crucial to perpetuate a streak that allows the ‘aspirin team’ to face the second part of the season with (almost) unbeatable prospects: it is second in the Bundesliga four points behind Bayern, they are fourth in the Champions League – they would advance directly to the round of 16 – and they will face Cologne in the Cup quarterfinals after eliminating Bayern.
Xabi Alonso returns to the Metropolitano with Leverkusen 818 days later… and Atlético already knows what awaits them.
