Huge hype about “Vizekusen”
“Best coach in the league” shakes the Bayern throne
08/19/2023 11:42 am
Bayer Leverkusen was already considered an insider tip in the Bundesliga last year. A rude awakening followed. But now the Werkself don’t seem as strong as they’ve ever been. The environment is euphoric. There’s even a run on the season tickets. The man on the sidelines is responsible for this.
Fernando Carro follows the discussion with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the ambitious club boss of Bayer Leverkusen feels honored when his team is named – once again – as an insider tip for the German soccer championship this summer. But it also brings back queasy memories of last year.
“I’m a burned child,” says Carro in the “Werkself yearbook”. Last summer, many had already had Leverkusen on their list. After third place the year before, the best second half of the club’s history and without a noteworthy departure. The rude awakening followed with rank 17 in October. But then came Xabi Alonso as a coach. And the former world and European champion has really shaken up the club again.
Alonso observes the current hype about his team with a smile. “In August we’re all champions,” he says, “but nobody gets medals in August. We haven’t even started yet. There’s no reason to praise us.” Alonso assures that he and his team will not be fooled. “We’re not stupid and think we’re the best without having done anything,” he says. “Yes, we have a good feeling, but we still have to show what we’re really capable of on the pitch.”
Alonso showered with praise
The Basque led Bayer to the Europa League and last year to the semi-finals. And he was an important factor in the fact that Leverkusen were able to strengthen themselves in this way. “So far we’ve gotten all the players we wanted. It was always our top one candidates,” says Carro: “It’s not that often the case that it succeeds.” And almost all newcomers, be it the new midfield boss Granit Xhaka, national player Jonas Hofmann as an offensive all-purpose weapon or the storm jewel Victor Boniface, gave Alonso as an important reason for their decision and raved about the Spaniard’s aura.
The fact that the coach recently extended his contract until 2026 caused further euphoria. Something had already developed in the Leverkusen environment in the last second half of the season. A club record has now been set with around 20,000 season tickets, and 25,000 fans came to the friendly against West Ham United. Sports director Simon Rolfes calls Alonso a “workhorse”, Carro says: “It’s a blessing to have such an experienced and successful former player at the club who knows exactly what a squad, what a cabin needs.”
Alonso could have gone to a bigger club in the summer, but as a player, he is not a wanderer, but follows a clear career plan. First he wants to win something in Leverkusen, then the next level can come. “We share a common vision,” he says. That relates to the gameplay. But certainly also on winning titles.
Local rivals trust Leverkusen to do anything
But the basis seems to have been laid much more and above all much more stable than in the previous year. Recognizing last year’s horror launch, the talented team has been enriched with experienced forces. And the sale of Moussa Diaby as the only regular player ensured that Rolfes even earned a double-digit million plus in terms of the transfer fee.
The mix seems to be right and so many call the Werkself the insider tip for the title. “I have great hopes for Leverkusen,” says Sky expert Dietmar Hamann in “Sport Bild”. “I think, and I don’t like to say that as a native of Cologne: Leverkusen will have a really great season and attack at the top,” adds coach Steffen Baumgart from local rivals 1. FC Köln. And sports director Roland Virkus from neighboring Borussia Mönchengladbach says: “This is a squad that – if things go well – can sometimes compete with Bayern.”
The specialist magazine “11 Freunde” knows who Bayer has to thank for all this and who can really lead the Werkself to the championship: “the best coach in the league”. That’s what it says on the current cover of the monthly magazine. A clear indication of whether this is possible could follow on Saturday. Bayer welcomes the cup winner and last year’s third RB Leipzig at the start of the season (3:30 p.m. / Sky). After that, the euphoria will continue to rise. Or the bad memories in Fernando Carro come up again.