Why Leverkusen's title is just the beginning

Рет қаралды 42,602

Күн бұрын

Bayer Leverkusen secured their first ever league title on Sunday after an incredible and still undefeated season. But just exactly how did Xabi Alonso lead this team to greatness?
Ayo is joined by Seb Stafford Bloor and Raph Honigstein to digest the Spaniards positive impact on the Bundesliga.
With a potential treble still on the cards, are things just getting started for Alonso at Leverkusen?
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:06 Leverkusen’s first League title
00:05:58 How did Alonso bring the team together?
00:08:58 What did the board see in Alonso?
00:14:56 Leverkusen’s new fighting spirit
00:17:51 The importance of beating Bayern Munich
00:23:00 Raph and Seb’s Article (link below)
00:25:05 Leverkusen still unbeaten
00:29:03 Squad architecture
00:32:30 Alonso & Leverkusen’s future
00:41:05 Final comments
How Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga - Raph Honigstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor: theathletic.com/5411110/2024/...
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Thumbnail: Lars Baron / Staff / Getty Images Europe via Getty Images
#xabialonso #leverkusen #bundesliga

Пікірлер: 63

@Kyleterp1 Ай бұрын

The Leverkusen story is remarkable. If they do achieve the invincible treble, it has to be the greatest achievement in footballing history.

@74_pelicans 26 күн бұрын

Ahahahah are you drunk?

@gabrielbehzadi9182 23 күн бұрын

@@74_pelicansif they do treble unbeaten it’s up there

@AlexMann-gh6ke Ай бұрын

Not even one mention of Flo Wirtz? For me he is the player who makes the difference so consistently

@doubleT84 27 күн бұрын

And he and Tah are at Bayer for quite some years know. Their names could one day be connected with the team like Völler, Schuster, Kirsten, Vollborn, Rolfes ... I hope they feel at home there and stay for a while.

@matthewmeunier8031 Ай бұрын

I'm not a Leverkusen supporter, but I'm so happy Alsonso is staying. It's refreshing to see a big name not jump ship at the first opportunity. He's manager of the best team in Germany, why would he want to leave to go to the second best?!

@tyronevaldez-kruger5313 29 күн бұрын

Already better than Bayern that dominated for a decade straight? Bayern is struggling in the league but still competitive in the CL. I will agree if Leverkusen shows consistency next season to get rid of doubters like me

@doubleT84 27 күн бұрын

@@tyronevaldez-kruger5313 Here's a subtle detail. In order to become attractive for Alonso, Munich offered in a "grand gesture" to allow him some say in which players they would buy. Everyone knows Munich buys good players, sometimes even just to have them sit on the bench so other teams can't have them. The trainer has (had in the past) not a lot to say which poster boys they'd buy. Most important to the managers: Illustrous names that would sell them jerseys and posters ... Meanwhile, at Leverkusen, Alonso sat together with Simon Rolfes building a winning team. He gave Rolfes a shopping list and Rolfes actually got lucky to get nearly all of the first picks on that list! And it's somewhat ironic: The team owned by a big company gave him freedom and made it fun for him and the team, while the traditional club handle's sport like a business and can be very unpleasant to deal with.

@gaara4667 25 күн бұрын

@@tyronevaldez-kruger5313clearly they are the best team in Germany right now. Undefeated and won the league with a few games to spare. Bayern competing in the UCL doesn’t mean they are the best team in Germany right now.

@fahadkayani9902 Ай бұрын

Leverkusen's unfinished story is incredible already

@HarryJ10 Ай бұрын

Ayo is a brilliant podcast leader - fantastic at facilitating conversation

@SuperJay23 Ай бұрын

Agreed 👍🏼

@ernestprakasa Ай бұрын

Quality questions. Respect.

@emperorpalpatine4681 Ай бұрын

They always have beautiful kits too

@kingj.4432 29 күн бұрын

Amazing podcast! Could listen to this Bayer Leverkusen team for hours.

@matheus.bueno47 Ай бұрын

Nice to see Seb again ❤

@AndreS_22246 Ай бұрын

Great work from Chairman Ayo, and the boys 👍

@deanVodkahouse Ай бұрын

Having Schick back from injury in place of Boniface was massive, he's well regarded as a prolific goalscorer and he didn't disappoint on that front, without him they could have found staying top of the league difficult and wouldn't have been in the EL. The whole squad though who have featured have been magnificent. Squad effort!

@MegaTimtheman Ай бұрын

On the subject of leverkusen selling players. Surely alonso stayed for next season because he was promised/told that wouldn't happen

@Kivikesku Ай бұрын

Also, him staying there makes it easier for Leverkusen to sign quality players.

@MemoTea Ай бұрын

Leverkusen CEO announced there will be one big sale. I think it's Palacios or Frimpong.

@IggyGoesPop666 Ай бұрын

When you compare the new football genius Alonso against a old school negative dinosaur manager like David Moyes you can see how easy it was for him to have pulled Moyes trousers down twice this season whilst he will then make it a hat rick on Thursday night

@1995dim Ай бұрын

Great to see more of Seb again! Have missed him with the shuffle up of the Tifo podcast cast

@captainsmoke1612 Ай бұрын

Xhaka is also U17 World Cup winner and 2 times FA Cup winner. Not like he never won something big before.

@WH_9331 Ай бұрын

He also won the Swiss league and Swiss Cup before

@doubleT84 27 күн бұрын

Seb sneaking that mug in ... 🤣

@deanVodkahouse Ай бұрын

I would have done the exact same thing as Alonso and stayed at Leverkusen If I were the manager. If I were manager of any smaller club compared to the elite and I enjoyed working there and we had won a league title or challenge for it I too would be staying, one I don't like the prem big 6 clubs so it would only be money that would take me there and 2 if I was Alonso I wouldn't go to Bayern as it's like a slap in the face to Leverkusen and it's supporters. I don't go with that narrative that a manager or player is crazy or a bottler for turning down a bigger club, maybe that my biasness of liking the underdogs but if it were Barca or Madrid then I'd consider it or an Italian club but not any of the prem big 6

@tapirfreund6118 24 күн бұрын

great talk, really enjoyed listening!

@MemoTea Ай бұрын

Leverkusen's sporting director already said they have to sell one big name in offseason. Maybe Palacios or Frimpong?

@Angelus_Krimphove Ай бұрын

Well done, guys! 🙏

@captainsmoke1612 Ай бұрын

Great questions.

@DavidLimofLimReport Ай бұрын

Don't forget Son Heung Min. Spurs bought him from Bayer.

@partlycurrent Ай бұрын

Man, the tifo football podcast is great!

@deanVodkahouse Ай бұрын

I'm English and the game would be a little more balanced across Europe financially if it wasn't for the Prem clubs hiking it up each year. 3M a year sounds perfect for me and be with a club who can win me big trophies, 9M a year to join an already big club isnt so exciting but of course they go for the extra money.

@otto_jk Ай бұрын

Like a wise South African bishop said "Inni the Beninging"

@carolinemarburger5859 Ай бұрын

I'm indeed impressed by the as Seb says squad architecture. Which is sth that is part of former and more recent decisions. And as such a team achievement in all senses. Not a Leverkusen supporter but hard not to love them and their game. With Alonso giving the architecture an incredible static. Kudos to them whatever comes or does not come next. Fingers crossed though.And Florian Wirtz really deserves at least a mention in how he plays don t you think?

@theredhall-thisisfootball Ай бұрын

As long as they keep key Players and add necessary one's they'll be fine.

@sesanonasanya5753 Ай бұрын

I like the way, Rafa reigned Ayo there; almost attributing everything to a former Arsenal man.

@arjitjere1559 Ай бұрын

He has been important no doubt

@gerhardopperer3130 Ай бұрын

you forgot Xhaka was world Champion with switzerland 17.

@tomdreler6528 Ай бұрын

How are the Gates, Seb Stafford Bloor? Gates good? ;-)

@SeriousBartYT Ай бұрын

Kudos to Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, the transfer committee, the sporting structure, the players, the coaching staff and Alonso. It shows the importance of making early, good, shrewd signings in the market. On a lighter note, I guess you ought to have a Liverpudlian connection to topple Bayern in the race for the meisterschale😅.

@devidwobinson8747 Ай бұрын

Why do Liverpool fans always have to make it about them

@SeriousBartYT Ай бұрын

@@devidwobinson8747 I don't know. It isn't their fault that their club is bona fide European royalty.

@ThisIsWideAngle Ай бұрын

Rudi Völler is not in charge anymore. He is now the Sportdirektor of the national team. Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes are responsible for Leverkusen for a couple of years now.

@SeriousBartYT Ай бұрын

@@ThisIsWideAngle Thanks for informing and correcting me.

@ThisIsWideAngle Ай бұрын

@@SeriousBartYT Rudi is still very attached to the club though and even keeps his office in the Bayarena without having any official function.

@WOOOPdoctorFROGhere Ай бұрын

Rapha suggesting Alonso was concerned that the fans on the pitch will spoil the turf for the west ham game "on Thursday"... I think they'll be ok Rapha, the game on Thursday is in London.

@efrosvovelu9076 Ай бұрын

I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about the game against West Ham but for the rest that will follow. The pitch doesn’t recover so quickly, I don’t know

@ThisIsWideAngle Ай бұрын

@@efrosvovelu9076 they have two weeks to repair the pitch. Leverkusen has one of the best greenkeeping teams in germany, so i'm sure it will be fine.

@efrosvovelu9076 Ай бұрын

@@ThisIsWideAngle good to know!)

@ryanbailey415 5 күн бұрын

“In Your Eyes”…John Oliver it must now be your sole purpose in life to make that moment happen on Last Week Tonight!!!!!!! YNWA ❤

@stevenlannister184 Ай бұрын

I'm sure Dortmund fans said the same a decade ago (at the risk of being negative).

@efrosvovelu9076 Ай бұрын

They won twice in a row and then in the fourth they started loosing key players, so no

@ViewsfromMidfield Ай бұрын

Have a beer Seb. Live a little 🍺

@user-si3rc4ut8s Ай бұрын

None of this bodes well for Kane trophy hopes.

@jimbojimbo6873 Ай бұрын

You can say its just the beginning all you want, players will leave and reversion to the mean will lead to Bayern continuing their dominance.

@efrosvovelu9076 Ай бұрын

Your just want to cry for sake of crying, will see, time will tell

@YusufEbr 28 күн бұрын

This could be a very Leicester like story if you lot don't leave it alone. When you cool weirdo blogger type guys start everyone should just wait on the edge to see if the balls going to drop.