– Unheard of, insane, incredible, awesome. I could cry.
Somehow this is what one Bayer Leverkusen fan listed. In fact, based on the TV pictures, the tears flowed in the audience at the latest at the point when Granit Xhaka scored a wonderful 2–0 goal in the 60th minute.
In the end, Leverkusen secured the German men’s Bundesliga title on Sunday by beating Werder Bremen 5-0.
– 20 years ago I was a little boy and I was sitting in front of the television with my brothers. We lost every final. Now we won. It’s a dream I still can’t grasp, another Leverkusen fan felt.
Florian Wirtz came to the field during the break from the substitution and made a hat trick. Even after the 4–0 goal, the spectators who had rushed to the field were rushed back to the stands, but after the 5–0 goal, it was impossible.
The euphoria tinged with tears and disbelief is understandable, because Leverkusen finally got rid of its Neverkusen stamp. At the turn of the millennium, Leverkusen had a lot by Michael Ballack a brilliant bundle in the lead, but it didn’t win anything.
Leverkusen experienced several bitter second places in the Bundesliga. In the end, the 2001–02 season turned out to be the one that truly defined Neverkusen. In the spring of 2002, Leverkusen lost their clear lead in the Bundesliga and lost the finals of the Champions League and the German Cup.
“You’ll never be champions”, acknowledged the supporters of the opponents. When there was nothing else to do, Leverkusen’s fans sought solace in humor and started singing during matches: “We’ll never be champions”.
Euphoria
In 2010, Bayer AG even trademarked Neverkusen (Vizekusen in German). The club founded 120 years ago by the employees of the pharmaceutical company in question is finally something other than the eternal runner-up – and it is unique in many ways.
Leverkusen became the 30th German champion in history, and the 13th champion in the Bundesliga era that began in the fall of 1963. Bayern Munich won 11 previous championships.
About the captain of Leverkusen Lukas from Hradecky became the fourth Finnish German champion in football.
Essi Sainio celebrated the 2009 Women’s Bundesliga title with Potsdam and Tinja-Riikka Korpela 2015 and 2016 with Bayern Munich. On the men’s side Pekka Lagerblom celebrated the 2003-2004 double championship in Werder Bremen.
In Sainio, Leverkusen’s championship evoked positively sympathetic thoughts.
– Germany is known to be a football country and it is talked about a lot. But then when you get to experience it, like Lukas did yesterday. What chaos there was on the field. That culture is incredible. That’s an incredibly big thing and a really, really great championship.
Lagerblom’s heart still beats for his former club Bremen, but on Sunday he saw right from the start of the match that Leverkusen sealed their championship.
– Cold shivers went down my spine and the hairs on my skin stood up – maybe a little through my own memories. All that rush to the field and those pictures, when you looked at Hradecky’s smile, wonder and feeling.
– I was really happy also in the sense of how long and wonderful a career Hradecky already has behind him in Germany.
Bremen’s championship in the spring of 2004 was decided in an away match in Munich, so there was no similar takeover of the field then.
However, Lagerblom can identify with the euphoria of the Leverkusen people. He refers to how a journalist reporting from Germany Johanna Nordling opened on Viaplay’s broadcast that he has felt the charm in Leverkusen’s streetscape and residents for a long time.
– I was able to compare the same to my own time and to Bremen, the importance of success to the entire city and community.
The 2004 championship was Bremen’s fourth, and so far the last.
Now the defense has to
Hradecky is having a great season. His save percentage of 78.7 is the best in the Bundesliga.
When comparing Hradecky’s expected goal kicks towards the goal with the shots Hradecky missed, the Finnish skipper’s reading is +4.4. Hradecky has therefore “saved” 4.4 goals. Above in the statistics is only Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel (+5.5).
Hradecky plays at his top level, but the championship was made possible by a bigger change in the team’s ideology and unity.
Ex-national team goalkeeper Kari Laukkanen60, played between 1988 and 1995 in the German Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, representing Stuttgarter and Mannheim.
Laukkanen, who currently works under FC Honga as a developer of coaching expertise, points out that Leverkusen used to be known as a hurlumhei team whose strengths were in the attack end.
– Leverkusen has been quite weak in defense. At least it seems that the policy has been to play entertaining football, and then it has happened at both ends.
– Let’s just say that there has been quite a bit of frustration there in the past. The team’s work ethic has not been very strong.
Now, Leverkusen has been a comprehensive team that has turned several matches into wins or draws with their last-minute hits. In addition, the statistics stand out, for example, for the uniformity between home and away matches.
For example, Bayern Munich’s scoring average in away games is much lower than in home games.
Laukkanen says that Hradecky has been an important pillar as a captain, a leader who has handled the task in his own style, through relaxation. It does not mean that the level of requirements has been slipped.
– I know from last season that certain things even made him ignore the role of captain, when there was frustration and the commitment of the players was not what it was this season, Laukkanen formulates.
The uniqueness of the championship is emphasized by the fact that Leverkusen has not lost a single match this season. The unbeaten streak is already 43 matches. In the Europa League, the team plays in the quarter-finals and in the German Cup in the final at the end of May against Kaiserslautern of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Leverkusen have five Bundesliga games left, and it would be understandable if the league side had a little blowout after the championship was secured.
An undefeated season would be something that even Bayern has not been able to do. In the 2000s, the Premier League’s Arsenal (2003–04) and Serie A’s Juventus (2011–12) have managed an undefeated league season in the big leagues.
Sports expert Antti Pohja not surprised by Hradecky’s level.
– But this season, all the pieces fell into place and here is the result. Now the defense as a whole has worked in such a way that he hasn’t had to stretch into parade saves. Then you can dream of championships.
– Bayern will not give up any championship for free. That’s the beauty of sports. You can achieve your dreams and goals, and you can ditch your favorites.
The greatest hero
Leverkusen’s championship is most personified by the Spanish coach to Xabi Alonso. The 42-year-old ex-midfield star started as Leverkusen’s coach in the fall of 2022, his first coaching job at the top level.
Hradecky has emphasized in interviews that Alonso is not looking at any kind of laziness.
– That’s it then Jeremy Frimpong or Florian Wirtz, who sometimes have a more relaxed feeling in training, so Xabi shouts. He doesn’t care what name is on the shirt or what anyone earns, Hradecky described to Sanoma before the Bremen match.
After the championship was decided, Hradecky’s comments to ESPN received a lot of attention.
– I thought the train had already left. But when we got a coach, I started to believe again. There were dreams, but I didn’t know if they were realism.
– Now I’m standing here, the ball in one hand, the microphone in the other, and we’re celebrating the championship. Unreal. I don’t know what the secret was. The mentality of V*** in this team is unbelievable. We’ve had fun, but we’ve taken things seriously.
British reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt had to apologize for Hradecky’s language during and after the fire speech. Hradecky’s style is known in Finland, but strong words are not tolerated on British television.
– First of all, sorry if there were too many swear words. Maybe there really is alcohol in the beer, I don’t know, but emotions are obviously quite high, the reporter finished his part, rolling his eyes.
Read also: Comment: Such was Lukas Hradecky’s show at Leverkusen’s party – a brilliant tribute to the beer-bathed head coach
Alonso turned things upside down in many ways. Essi Sainio emphasizes that throughout the season the players have talked a lot about how much they appreciate their head coach.
– It’s a really, really professional team in that it doesn’t matter what it says on the back and how much money you make, but the level of demands remains in everyday life all the time. It makes the championship even sweeter, Sainio emphasizes.
It is also important that Alonso put an end to speculation in March and said that he would continue in Leverkusen next year, even though the big clubs were on his heels. It helps players to trust that all the work done will be worth it even in the future.
Sainio sees an even greater significance in Leverkusen’s championship.
– This is really healthy in this world of business football, when the message echoes from there that every player puts himself out there every day, and the captaincy also maintains that level. Then there’s the coach who plays those who are the best and hottest at that moment, regardless of who it is.
– This is a healthy example for all the junkies around the world who want to become professionals, regardless of gender, that this is the way championships are won.
The fact that all the pieces fell into place so spectacularly is the result of the change in philosophy that has been accomplished in the club under Alonso’s leadership.
According to Pekka Lagerblom, playing in Leverkusen showed that every player really wanted to give his all and accepted and understood his role in the overall picture.
– Egoism has not come up. Everyone’s contribution has come to the fore during the season and Alonso has been able to rotate players even in important games.
– Down-to-earthness and humility, that each game is a separate final that must be won. The ideology has now been able to be carried through 43 matches. Tells a lot about the desire and the philosophy of the team and the club, how we live in every situation.
Bigger parties
The party was wild, but at least short for the team so far. The games continue on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, with West Ham visiting London. Leverkusen won the opening part 2–0. Then there is the final of the German Cup.
Lukas Hradecky has become a father and German champion during the beginning of the year. But there is still a chance to collect trophies at the end of the season party.
Germany knows how to party.
– Absolutely, that’s how it should be. The whole town is confused and happy about the result achieved together. In Germany, the contribution and voting power of supporters is known to be large. It is the city’s common championship, Antti Pohja says.
– Now the games continue. Surely after the season, when they have taken care of the Cup final and the Europa League, there can be a “small” party. Aren’t the town halls and markets full of people there, Kari Laukkanen smiles.