When one thinks of European giants, the mind would generally drift to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, AC Milan, and so forth. However, the rapid rise of an impressive German club under a manager who has thus far proved himself to be remarkable has earned their status as one of the continent's top dogs in sublime fashion. What Bayer Leverkusen have managed to achieve under the guidance of Xabi Alonso is nothing short of incredible; just as they have managed to blind their previous 51 opponents with dazzling on-pitch performance, a spotlight must be shone on their accomplishments in recent times, writes Soccer Laduma's Junaid Benjamin.
Sensational achievements
Before the Spanish tactician was appointed in what was perhaps an eyebrow-raising decision at the time, the only managerial experience Xabi Alonso had come from his time as a youth coach at Real Madrid between August 2018 and June 2019. He then went on to manage Real Sociedad B from July 2019 to June 2022. For a top-flight club to have appointed him thereafter was a risk, but Bayer Leverkusen took that leap of faith and have been rewarded with their first-ever Bundesliga title since the competition's inception. The side also has the chance to win more trophies as they are in the final of the German Cup. It is a testament to the club's executive structure, their approach to recruitment, and the side's ability to spot talent at all levels.
What Alonso has managed to do has been nothing short of fascinating. When he was officially appointed in October 2022, the side was 17th on the Bundesliga table. They ended the 2022/23 campaign in sixth place and while that is phenomenal in itself, it would have been hard to predict what was to follow. This season, they drew just six of their 34 matches, winning the rest. In doing so, they etched their names in the German top flight's history books by becoming the first Invincible side the league has ever seen. Alonso's win ratio now stands at 69%. Only three permanent coaches have ever achieved better tallies in the league's history, and all of them were at Bayern, namely Pep Guardiola (with 80%), Hansi Flick (78%) and Carlo Ancelotti (73%). With two finals remaining, Die Werkself still have the incredible opportunity to finish the season with both a treble and the satisfaction of being unbeaten across all competitions.
The secret to success
To win titles, a team needs the perfect combination of players who complement one another on a technical level. Not only that, but personality also plays a big role in how they are moulded into a team. These players need to get along well with one another in order to foster a positive spirit in the dressing room, which more often than not translates to the pitch and drives a winning mentality as well as a cohesive culture. Then, their minds cannot be in a fragile place. To compete and win things at the top level, the players' cerebral matter must be like bricks to ensure that it becomes a fortress, becoming adept to blocking out negativity and inspiring laser like focus to thrive in high-pressure situations. It goes to show that when recruiting a player, everything needs to be taken into account, and despite Die Werkself's recent success as a collective, they have been very successful at recruiting players and developing talent for a considerable period of time. The side has been described as a conveyor belt of talent, which is a fair comparison given the emergence of players such as Florian Wirtz, who was signed as a teenager and is now one of the most promising starlets in world football at the age of just 21. Kai Havertz, who has now become an important first-team star at Arsenal – a side that narrowly missed out on lifting the English Premier League title this season – was also a product of the German club's youth system.
In more recent times, signings made by Bayer have proved that their recruitment system has worked to their advantages, with players such as Victor Boniface, Alejandro Grimaldo, Nathan Tella, and Granit Xhaka all coming in at the beginning of this season and having an immediate impact on the team. While Alonso will be getting all the praise, and rightly so, for what the club has managed to achieve in such a short span of time under his tutelage, there is an unsung hero in the form of Leverkusen director of sport Simon Rolfes. He has previously stated, during an interview with the Bundesliga, that the club has placed a focus on signing players who have a high level of potential. "It's really competitive, and it drives you as an organisation to be better than the others. It's not easy to sign the players but we try to be a centre of excellence in the youth development, to really focus on the high-potential players," he said. "It's really important not only to have good scouts but to have the best environment, the best facilities and the best coaches for development and those are big advantages." Rolfes highlighted three key pillars that Die Werkself places great emphasis on: atmosphere, development, and performance.
"If the atmosphere in the club is really cold or not inspiring, you will not get the best out of the players. I try to build the best squad we can from the personality side. We try to create a good team spirit and good relationships between the players. It's part of our strategy to sign high-potential young players, to give them playing time to develop them and to give them also the opportunity very early to train with our professional team. Florian Wirtz, we took from the U17 of the other club and directly put him in our first team training. You always have to have a little bit of luck but if you make the right decisions and have the right strategy for the players, then the possibility for success is much higher."
The perfect recipe
Perhaps only a fortune teller and Rolfes could have predicted the success Xabi Alonso would attain when he was first appointed as manager of the club. Around the time of his appointment, the executive expressed his optimism and the faith he had in the Spanish tactician, which has been repaid in abundance. This shouldn't be viewed as an experiment for Leverkusen. It's not about experience, it's about quality. Julian Nagelsmann, for example, was a lot younger when he first started out.
"I'm certain it's a good opportunity," Rolfes continued. "There's always an element of risk involved but you always have to improve and take forward steps. I'm absolutely convinced it will work out."
The Bayer sporting director's faith and ability to spot talent before the rest of the footballing world finds the opportunity to snatch it away, combined with Alonso's managerial philosophies has made Leverkusen a true force to be reckoned with. In fact, the Spanish tactician's winning mentality and understanding that he needs to lead the players by example need to be appreciated. In an interview with SPORT, he revealed what exactly he expects from his players and what they should expect of him.
"The players need to follow you, they need to believe in what they are doing, they need to know that they are improving with you coaching, with your help. We want to play modern football. That means: intensity with and without the ball, being more active than passive and with a strong mentality. The team has to know how we want to play. Dominant, intense, controlled, with a winning mentality and that should be from the first kick-off until the final whistle. I will try to give the players clear instructions and ideas."
What's next?
From how things look currently, spectators can expect much of the same. Heading into next season, they will have to defend their title as Bayern Munich will be eager to bounce back after a disappointing campaign that saw them being unable to add any silverware to their trophy cabinet. This will make for an intriguing battle for neutrals. First, however, Alonso's side must go head-to-head with Atalanta in the final of the UEFA Europa League, before taking on 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the final of the German Cup. Based on previous experiences, you would be silly not to put your money on Leverkusen.
