Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title triumph was framed as a once-in-a-lifetime thing because that’s exactly what it was. Never before had The Black and Reds won the German top division and so supporters who witnessed Xabi Alonso’s team break Bayern Munich’s 11-year Bundesliga stranglehold last season soaked in the scenes uncertain that they would ever see the likes again.
Now that the dust – and ticker tape – has settled, though, it’s apparent Leverkusen could dominate German football for a number of seasons to come. Far from being a one off fluke, last term’s achievement could be the start of something even more special. The Repeat is very much on for Alonso and his players.
This is largely due to Bayer Leverkusen keeping their best performers over the summer. Many assumed the vultures would circle the BayArena, but the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Victor Boniface, Álex Grimaldo and Piero Hincapié have all remained. Jonathan Tah has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, but a deal has yet to be struck.
Alonso himself was, in many circles, expected to move on. He had his pick of some of the biggest jobs in European football as vacancies at Bayern and Liverpool opened up, but the former midfielder stayed at Leverkusen. “At this moment I feel this is the right place for me to be to develop as a coach,” he said.
It’s been a completely different story for Leverkusen’s Bundesliga rivals. Bayern Munich have a new manager in Vincent Kompany who is untested at the elite level of management and was a long way down the Bavarian club’s shortlist of candidates to replace Thomas Tuchel. Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann and Ralf Rangnick all turned down the job before Kompany was hired.
On top of this, Bayern Munich are in the midst of a generational transition that has proved problematic to this point. Nagelsmann and Tuchel both found themselves swimming against the tide of internal politics at the Allianz Arena and it’s possible Kompany could be swept up in a similar way.
Borussia Dortmund made an unexpected run to last season’s Champions League final, but have since bid farewell to key players Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Niclas Fullkrug – and loan stars Jadon Sancho and Ian Maatsen who haven’t returned – as well as manager Edin Terzic who has been replaced by Nuri Şahin.
While Şahin was an iconic player at the Westfalenstadion, he has just two seasons of senior management under his belt. The former midfielder enjoyed a successful stint at Antalyaspor in the Turkish SuperLig, but that experience won’t have done much to prepare him for one of the most scrutinised jobs in German football.
Stuttgart finished second last season, but lost top scorer Serhou Guirassy to Dortmund in the summer transfer window and will do well to replicate the success of 2023/24. RB Leipzig could continue to improve under Marco Rose, but their transfer model puts a ceiling on what they can realistically achieve.
As things stand, Bayer Leverkusen are the most stable club at the top-end of the Bundesliga and that makes them the favourites to win the title this season (even if most bookmakers disagree). Not only have Alonso and his best players stayed to build on the glory of 2023/24, the squad at the BayArena is even stronger than it was last term.
Aleix García has joined after enjoying his own fairytale with Girona last season. The 27-year-old will give Leverkusen another option in central midfield and should be a good fit for Alonso’s possession-heavy approach. Martin Terrier has also arrived from Rennes and will offer versatility across the forward line.
Leverkusen struck gold last summer by making so many signings that ultimately helped them become German champions for the first time. It’s unrealistic to expect The Black and Reds to maintain such a high hit rate in the transfer market, but there is clear alignment between sporting director Simon Rolfes and manager Alonso on what their team should look like.
With Rolfes in charge of the front office, Bayer Leverkusen have targeted pre-peak age players. Indeed, the average age of the club’s signings made over the last two years is just 22.8. Of the players who clocked more than 1,000 league minutes for Leverkusen last season, only two outfielders (Jonas Hofmann and Granit Xhaka) were over the age of 30.
Many of Leverkusen’s best players (Wirtz, Frimpong, Boniface etc.) still have their best years ahead of them. Ultimately, Rolfes’ transfer model might require them to sell (like they did with Kai Havertz, Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey) at some point in the future, but the fact Leverkusen didn’t cash in this summer shows they believe even better is yet to come.
Retaining the Bundesliga title would be a flex for Leverkusen, but the Champions League would be where they make the biggest impact this season. Having fallen at the final hurdle in the Europa League last term, losing to Atalanta in the final, Europe feels like the final frontier for a team that has already conquered German football.
In many ways, Alonso’s impact at Bayer Leverkusen is reminiscent of Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund tenure. That was the last time there was a truly disruptive force at the top of German football and the Black and Yellows went back-to-back as they won successive Bundesliga titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12, as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2012/13.
This is the sort of run Alonso’s Leverkusen side must embark on if they are to earn their place in the pantheon of legendary German teams. They can be much more than just one-season wonders. History was made last season, but this season could see the creation of a black and red dynasty.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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