Could the 5th of October 2022 be the beginning of the new era? Xabi Alonso came in to take the reigns of the BayArena, it was their second-worst start in the club’s history since 1979. Leverkusen was second bottom of the league when Xabi took charge.
The Leverkusen job would be his first start as senior team manager having joined from the Real Sociedad team B only 18 months prior. 557 days, one and a half years later, Xabi Alonso would make history guiding Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title in 120 years. The lads from the BayArena achieved this momentous feat with zero defeats, 16 points clear from Bayern Munich, and 43 unbeaten games in all competitions. Leverkusen who are also in the DFB Pokal final, Europa quarter-finals stand a chance of winning three trophies this iconic season.
In 2019, Jose Mourinho the self-proclaimed special one in an interview on the top eleven predicted the emergence of his student Xabi Alonso as one of the few players turned managers to be the best of the best. Born in the Basque of Tolosa to Periko and Isabel, Alonso would understudy the masters. First his father, a former midfielder and manager, then Rafa Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Vincente del Bosque, and Carlo Ancelotti. It’s no surprise Mourinho had expected the Bayer Leverkusen coach to do great things.
Leverkusen takes on West Ham in the 2nd leg of the Europa League, having won the first meeting. Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta would be hoping to rub more pepper on Liverpool’s injury.
Benfica would slug it out with Marseille in France while Roma and Milan will cross blades in an all -Italian last 8 of the Europa League.