Until last season, German football was dominated by Bayern Munich for a long time. The Bavarians were always favorites to win the Bundesliga betting on football right down to the sheer meritocracy they’ve imposed on the competition.

After Jamal Musiala scored a late goal against Cologne in 2023, Bayern packed their elevene consecutive title away from Borussia Dortmund, and many thought their dominance would never end.

That was until Xabi Alonso arrived at Bayer Leverkusen. When the Spaniard took over in October 2022, the club was at the bottom of the table and fears of relegation were very real. However, Alonso brought with him a sense of calm and confidence that quickly permeated the entire squad.

Drawing from his own illustrious playing career – during which he was coached by some of the greatest of all time, including Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, he combined all the philosophies to build a winning mentality at Leverkusen.

His tactical acumen allowed the team to play attractive, attacking football while maintaining defensive solidity – qualities that helped them move up the ranks quickly. Against all odds, Leverkusen secured a European spot in his first season in charge, completing a remarkable turnaround.

Leverkusen have long been considered the almost-men of German football. Die Werkself had a history of coming so close to glory, only to falter at the final hurdle. The 2001/2002 season was perhaps the most heartbreaking of them all.

Klaus Toppmöller’s side looked on course to complete a historic treble, leading the Bundesliga, reaching the DFB-Pokal final and reaching the Champions League final. However, they ended that season empty-handed, losing all three competitions. This collapse became emblematic of the club’s misfortunes, and dark times followed as they struggled to shake off the ‘Neverkusen’ label.

Enter Alonso, who has transformed the side from perennial underachievers into champions. The 2023/24 Bundesliga season was a dream campaign for Leverkusen and their fans, as Alonso created an exciting, attacking team that entertained the entire Bundesliga as well as those in the BayArena. His group would win the Bundesliga undefeated.

Alonso has also breathed new life into the defence, with Edmond Tapsoba and Jonathan Tah forming a strong partnership at the back, while goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was excellent when called upon.

Furthermore, the attacking duo of Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface flourished under Alonso, with Wirtz in particular demonstrating his creativity and vision as he won the Bundesliga Player of the Season from Harry Kane, who despite scoring 44 goals in his debut season, could not prevent Bayern from falling under Thomas Tuchel capitulated.

Bayern’s inconsistency has coincided with Leverkusen’s ability to win games late. After a crushing 4-1 win against Tuchel’s side, they returned from the winter break in the polls and raced all the way to the title. Late goals against Frankfurt and Union Berlin kept the winning streak alive, while good cup form saw them reach the finals of the DFB Pokal and Europa League.

While the league title was wrapped up with games still to be played, the Europa League defeat to Atalanta in Dublin prevented a perfect season for Leverkusen.

Alonso’s side were not present at the races against the Italians and a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman was too much that evening to hand them their first defeat in 53 games. That said, the DFB Pokal win completed the double in a hard-fought battle against second division Kaiserslautern.

The unbeaten run in the league would finally end this season, with RB Leipzig becoming the first side in 462 days to beat Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. But they can look back on that record with pride.

After enduring years of heartbreak, they emerged not only as champions but as invincibles, breaking Bayern’s stranglehold on German football. Having retained the core of its squad – even though many are linked to Europe’s top clubs – the BayArena will be hoping to get more silverware soon. With Alonso at the helm, the future looks bright for this once ‘almost’ club.