Super coach and his heroes: The new favorite child of the Bundesliga

FC Bayern have become German champions eleven times in a row. There are quite a few people in football Germany who long for an end to this monotony. With Bayer Leverkusen there is a team that can make this come true.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen has not yet been known for uniting the football nation behind them. Better known as opponents of VfL Wolfsburg in “El Plastico”, the Werkself stood for the great indifference in German football. Because the club has been part of the establishment for so long, it is not as unpopular as TSG Hoffenheim, which was created with a lot of money, or RB Leipzig, which was created with even more money. But for weeks Bayer Leverkusen has been growing to new emotional stature. As the leaders of the Bundesliga, the most spectacular team in the country, a team that has been unbeaten in 31 games, the Werkself is suddenly capable of fulfilling the longing they have longed for eleven years “Tyranny” of FC Bayern to end.

Yes, other teams have tried that too. Above all, Borussia Dortmund. But the Black and Yellows had failed again and again. Last summer in the worst possible way, when Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala scored in the 89th minute in Cologne and actually saved the championship for the record champions. A world collapsed in the Ruhr region, and a door that seemed to be boarded up opened in Munich. Now another team is working on barricading FC Bayern’s passage to their twelfth title in a row. And the Leverkusen-based construction work is proving to be surprisingly robust and efficient. In the direct duel, the enigmatically weak Munich team were sent on a frustrating journey home with a score of 3-0 (1-0).

A big number in world football

Alejandro Grimaldo was asked in the catacombs of the Bayarena with its over 30,000 spectators whether he had ever heard of the horror word “Vizekusen”. Yes, the Portuguese confessed after a moment’s hesitation, adding that things might turn out differently this year. The lead over FC Bayern has grown to five points on this special Saturday evening. That’s not a lot, but it’s enough to chase the two teams to two planets that have completely different atmospheres. While the Munich team first sank into emptiness and then judged themselves harshly, the Leverkusen team simply celebrated everything there was to celebrate that evening. With the hotshot Lukas Hradecky. The goalkeeper climbed up to the ultras and set the rhythm of the party. Everything mixed together. It was celebrated. The football, the carnival, the league leadership, the team, the coach. Especially him.

The man’s name is Xabi Alonso and he was a big name in world football. Was a conductor at Real Madrid, Liverpool FC and also FC Bayern. Everywhere they speak well of the charismatic Spaniard, who is increasingly preparing to cast his work on the pitch on the sidelines in gold (or silver, because the bowl is silver). Xabi Alonso has created a monster that eats its way voraciously through all competitions and can actually dream of a small treble (with the Europa League instead of the Champions League). The coach would never dream publicly. Alonso never talks beyond the next game. Always stay humble. It sounds like this: “You need a great mentality in a game like this, and the fact that you perform like this against an opponent like that shows your development. This win is very important, but it’s only three points.”

Where is Frimpong?

When the fans in the arena wanted to see the coach and celebrate with him, he gave up the glory for himself. First he called his entire staff together before trotting with them to the north curve. He couldn’t escape the rush of the evening, the rush of having really grounded Bayern in the top game. Once again it was his courage and his conviction that got the team on the right track. In order to surprise FC Bayern and its coach Thomas Tuchel, he did without Jeremie Frimpong, one of his best players. The Dutchman is an unstoppable dervish. He races across the square like Super Mario with the glittering star through the levels of the platforming classic. Tuchel had adapted his tactics and installed security systems. But then Frimpong didn’t play (he only came later), but Josip Stanisic did, who the slim squad FC Bayern had loaned out to Leverkusen in the summer without any need. Stanisic was one of the best, cooked his opponents and made it 1-0 with a powerful shot after a low cross from Robert Andrich.

Whoever comes delivers. Xabi Alonso has the team completely behind him. This is the only way to achieve what is currently happening. When the hard-working winger Nathan Tella was replaced, the Spaniard was reorganizing the team. The 24-year-old stood next to his coach and waited politely until Alonso was finished. Then there was the hug, the thanks, the respect. A smile. With this style he conquered the club for himself. And with this club he is now conquering the Bundesliga.

First wasn’t the only trick. Xabi Alonso also did without a tough penalty area striker and focused his offense primarily on crazy speed. His plan worked, even if the team didn’t play as rousingly this time as it had a few days before against VfB Stuttgart in the cup. The performance against Bayern can be seen as controlled dominance. They gave the opponent more possession of the ball than usual and condensed the center. The people of Munich had no idea how they could equalize Bayer and create something themselves. The fact that Tuchel later decided that the defeat was too great was something he had rather exclusively outside the Bayern bubble. There, the realization is becoming more and more common that the bowl actually passes through hands other than those of Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer and Co.

The coddling horses

Nothing has been done yet. And you have often seen horses coddling in front of the pharmacy, like BVB recently. But the situation was/is different. Borussia had sneaked past its rivals from the south in the shadow of Bayern’s great turbulence. The Munich team are still far from having a quiet season, but they are scoring very consistently. The fact that they are not in first place can be attributed to the Werkself’s sensational season. The summer transfers created a perfect match. Granit Xhaka, also one of the best against Bayern, is an indestructible leader. He has Florian Wirtz’s back, who thanks him with great art and creativity on the ball. Grimaldo shines with his technical class and his genius. There are also Jonas Hofmann, who is not in the best shape at the moment, and Victor Boniface, who is currently injured. But that is also part of the hero football of the Bayer team. The squad has many options and Xabi Alonso uses them perfectly. Stanisic is the best example. He is currently a golden boy, whatever he touches, he shines.

So it’s no wonder that there is widespread concern that the 42-year-old may soon become too big for the club. Maybe in summer. Real Madrid, where he was considered a serious candidate, has extended his contract with Carlo Ancelotti until the summer of 2026. Then Alonso’s contract with Bayer will also expire. It’s rather unthinkable that he would actually stay that long and then go to Royal. Because Liverpool FC, another giant of world football, with whom the Spaniard is also very connected, is left empty-handed this summer. The exhausted Jürgen Klopp is quitting and a successor is needed. Of course Alonso is a candidate. And somewhere in this cosmos is FC Bayern, which makes no secret of its affection for the former player. Without being specific in any way.

They don’t want to look forward to this summer at Bayer. Your coach has made game-by-play thinking an accepted short-sightedness. He says his sentences that don’t make a headline and are hard to beat in terms of sobriety, but in such a charming way that you still enjoy listening to him. Not just in Leverkusen anymore, with the Bundesliga’s new favorite child. Outside the Bayern (and 1. FC Köln) bubble.