How far have Leverkusen come under Alonso? | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso: From firefighting relegation to establishing Bayer Leverkusen as a German giant

Xabi Alonso has made trophy-laden history since taking charge of Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022, breaking countless records along the way. Amidst speculation regarding his future, bundesliga.com examines how the Spaniard turned the nearly men into serial winners…

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Appointment

Every fairy-tale must start somewhere, and at Leverkusen for Alonso, that was in 17th place after eight matchdays. Taking the reins from now Borussia Mönchengladbach head coach Gerardo Seoane, the Spaniard announced in his first press conference: “I feel I can play an important role here and have an impact on the team, that I can improve the team and myself. I’m really happy to be here. Now I just want to get to work.”

Improvement undoubtedly followed. Alonso kicked off with a 4-0 victory over Schalke and, while he had to wait another seven games for his next victory in the dugout, the Werkself were soon climbing up the Bundesliga table rather than just straining their necks and looking up above.

Building up steam

Alonso’s playing days and stints under hugely successful head coaches such as Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho allowed him to build up enormous tactical insight. However, one of the first things he reimplemented upon his arrival was a sense of self-belief in his players. After all, despite their league position, he hadn’t inherited a squad of relegation fodder; they had finished third in the campaign prior.

Alonso came up short to former Real Madrid mentor Jose Mourinho towards the end of his first season as Leverkusen coach. (INA FASSBENDER)

Reflecting on his coaching style a year after his appointment, Alonso said: "I was encouraged to have my own criteria on the pitch, to take my own decisions. That's something that I really push, and I want to invite my players that they have their own decision-making. It's not about being robots. It's not about 'we always have to do this, and if you don't do this, you are going to be on the bench.'"

This philosophy got a team that already included the likes of current stars Patrik Schick, Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, Lukáš Hrádecký, Edmond Tapsoba, Piero Hincapié, Exequiel Palacios and Jeremie Frimpong firing again. In his first season, he led the team to a respectable sixth place, as well as a UEFA Europa League semi-final, which they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Mourinho's Roma.

Admittedly, there were some teething problems along the way, notably a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 10. But over the 26 Bundesliga games overseen by the Spaniard, Leverkusen amassed a very respectable 13 wins, six draws, and seven losses, taking 45 points from a possible 78.

Granit Xhaka has been a crucial part of Leverkusen's success under Alonso. (IMAGO/Laci Perenyi)

The perfect transfer window

It was a big call to let long-serving stars Moussa Diaby and Nadiem Amiri leave on permanent deals, while Callum Hudson-Odoi was allowed to return to parent club Chelsea after his loan’s expiry, but Alonso proved he knew exactly what he was doing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

After identifying the positions that needed strengthening, the ex-midfield ace brought in several fresh faces, including exciting prospect Nathan Tella, the experienced and versatile Jonas Hofmann and a long-term successor to custodian Hrádecký in the form of Matěj Kovář. But none were more impactful than the trio of Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface and Alejandro Grimaldo.

Xhaka acted as the metronome at the heart of Leverkusen’s midfield, constantly linking defence and attack thanks to his press-resistant distribution which offered something different alongside more traditional ball winners in Palacios and Robert Andrich. Xhaka’s 79 per cent pressure handling over the 2023/24 campaign was instrumental, as was his leadership, experience, workmanlike attitude and elegance reminiscent of Alonso in his prime.

As Schick struggled with injuries, Boniface provided Leverkusen with some much-needed stability up top, as well as serious competition for the Czechia striker. The Nigeria international struck up a brilliant partnership with Wirtz, his intricate link-up play and close ball control offering something different to Schick’s more traditional centre-forward play. He was impressive in front of goal, too, although his 14 league goals – making him Leverkusen’s top scorer of the 2023/24 campaign – illustrated that the finishing responsibility was shared around so many positions; testament to what a complete team Alonso had built.

In Grimaldo, Leverkusen may have pulled off one of the greatest free transfer signings in Bundesliga history. The supremely technical Spaniard brought set-piece excellence, a tireless work rate and allowed Wirtz to shine in a slightly more central role, with the former Benfica man instead hugging the touchline. His arrival may have also influenced Alonso’s shift away from Seoane’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-2-1, which in turn allowed Frimpong to advance more up the right-hand side while also making room for Tapsoba, Hincapié, and Tah in a back three.

Growing together

Having joined with just one previous coaching role under his belt – a three-year spell at the helm of Real Sociedad B – Alonso was something of a novice when he moved to Leverkusen, yet he quickly adapted to the pressure. Acknowledging this, Alonso said in November 2023: "Just in one year and one month, I've learned a lot. In trying to be a leader, because you need to be a leader, and how to be a leader in different circumstances; when you need to push, when you need to be a little bit softer and when you need to not let them relax.”

It wasn’t just Alonso's leadership skills that developed either; his tactical awareness also evolved. Speaking in 2023 after a very strong start to the 23/24 campaign, he explained: "We were not a possession team last year. We were a transition team, we were a counter team. That was completely different to this year, for example. But to be able to make that effort, to try to learn or to convince the players how to do that, it made me a better coach, probably. But my idea was to update and to evolve in our game."

As they won their first-ever Bundesliga title, picking up a club record 90 points and becoming the first team in the division’s history to go an entire season unbeaten, Leverkusen led the way in terms of passes completed (89.8%), while only Bayern Munich (59 percent) managed more than 58 percent possession. On top of that, just Hoffenheim covered more distance throughout the term, suggesting Alonso’s ability as a coach to get the best out his side in all areas should not be underestimated. Alonso's side were also perfect on their way to lifting the DFB Cup, only losing once across the entire competitive season - to Atlanta in the UEFA Europa League final.

Laterkusen

Puns using Leverkusen’s name have been commonplace in and around German football for some time. For a while, it seemed they would never shake the 'Neverkusen' moniker after coming so close to the treble in 2002/03 only to end the season empty-handed. However, their knack for late goals and trophy-winning antics have earned them a new nickname: 'Laterkusen'. This ability is as a testament to both the style of play imposed by the coach, and the belief instilled in his players.

The Spaniard’s favoured possession-based style suffocates opponents, tiring them out if they’ve been chasing the game for the 90 minutes. Additionally, because of the confidence Alonso has in his players to deliver, his side’s never-say-die attitude has led to some breathtaking final moments, which continued into the 2024/25 season – most notably with a comeback win over VfB Stuttgart in the Supercup and a last-gasp victory against the same opponents on Bundesliga Matchday 26.

Shoot for the moon

Following up the invincible season was always going to be a mammoth undertaking, but Leverkusen’s disappointment with a prospective second-place finish simply goes to show how far they’ve come under Alonso. The manner in which they exited the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League and the DFB Cup semi-final to Bayern and Arminia Bielefeld respectively will sting, but the current campaign would usually be deemed a success given their trophyless past.

In the Bundesliga, Leverkusen are still on course for their second-highest Bundesliga points return ever. Should they win their remaining four games, their would-be tally of 74 would edge out the previous second-placed record of 73 points accrued in the 1999/2000 campaign under then coach Christoph Daum.

Leverkusen look set to come up short in terms of their league title defence, while speculation surrounding Alonso's future – fuelled by Bayer CEO Fernando Carro saying his “gut-feeling is 50-50” in regards to him staying at the club – suggests there a possibility his time at the club is coming to an end. However, nobody can deny the monumental impact Alonso has had on this previously underperforming outfit, and they still have the chance to finish with a flourish.

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