German champion, Bayer Leverkusen, has said that their star players, including Nigeria’s Victor Boniface, are part of the reasons Coach Xabi Alonzo agreed to stay and nurture the club’s project.
Alonzo was courted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including his former clubs, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool, following his masterclass in leading the ‘nearly men’ to their first Bundesliga title.
Leverkusen is also in the German Cup final as well as the quarterfinal of the Europa Cup, in which they will face West Ham in the second leg of their tie tomorrow.
The German side won the first leg at home 2-0 with Boniface scoring one of the goals. The Super Eagles star also opened the goals floodgate when they defeated Werder Bremen 5-0 to confirm their first-ever Bundesliga title on Sunday. The club is unbeaten in all competitions this season.
Speaking to Caughtoffside.com at the weekend, Italian football authority, Fabrizio Romano said the job Alonzo has done with the team is underrated, adding that the club has ensured that nothing would stop the current project under the Spanish coach. A number of Leverkusen’s star names have been linked with bigger clubs in recent times, but Romano said the club would only allow one major sale.
“It’s been a fantastic job by Xabi Alonso – underrated in my opinion, as Xabi took over in October 2022 and in just 18 months they’ve been able to go from second bottom to first in the league and winning the Bundesliga in style with zero defeats, dominating since day one,” Romano said.
“It’s incredible. The board did an insane job, as well as Xabi and the players. Boniface, Grimaldo, Frimpong but also Xhaka are the perfect example of an incredible, perfect mix. What they’re doing is fantastic, congrats to Leverkusen.”
Alonso took charge at Bayer on October 5, 2022, with the team second-bottom in the Bundesliga.It was the second-worst start of the season ever for Bayer Leverkusen since 1979. He had managed a senior team having joined Leverkusen one year anda half ago from Real Sociedad B.
18 months, exactly 557 days later, Bayer Leverkusen won the first Bundesliga title in 120 years of history.
It happened with zero defeats and 43 consecutive games unbeaten in all competitions for this top team. Apart from retaining the club’s star players, the post also said that Bayer Leverkusen CEO Carro also promised to strengthen the areas of the club they saw as relatively weak, adding that they would also sell one player.
“Every year we need to sell one big player to find budget for new signings, so probably we will sell one player.
“We’re planning to sign 2/3 players with that amount of money.”
Alonzo said in a recent podcast that he felt committed to the young team and would therefore want to continue managing the side.
“ There were many reasons and so many players. The season has been great so far, and for sure we want to keep having this thing together.
“I felt part of it. After one year, it didn’t feel like the right timing, and that’s why I’m committed.”
