“If you don’t see the seriousness now, you can’t save it anymore”: German press hard for Leverkusen, which is in acute relegation crisis | Champions League

Video: the first leg between Club and Leverkusen

“We are not depressed by the current situation.”

Thus spoke Xabi Alonso, who has been working as coach of Bayer Leverkusen since the beginning of October, after the 2-0 loss in Leipzig. The Spaniard keeps his spirits up, but no doubt he had imagined something completely different at his first job as head coach.

The once proud Leverkusen, a regular customer at the German (sub)top, has today turned into a relegation candidate. 9 out of 36 is the poor balance, the club has only won 2 times in the competition this year. Only Bochum and Schalke do worse. Leverkusen is experiencing its worst season in 40 years. In 1982 it just failed to drop to the second Bundesliga.

Although Leverkusen can still winter in the Europa League tonight, a battle for preservation awaits them in the coming months. The German press does not mince words. “Anyone who does not understand the seriousness of the situation at Leverkusen now, cannot be saved”, is the firm tenor at Bild. “And to say that Leverkusen dreamed of competing for a first title in club history this year. The Champions League match against Club Brugge could well be Leverkusen’s last European appearance in years.”

“In the past, Leverkusen was an attacking machine who occasionally dropped a stitch in the back. Now it’s a mix of both,” magazine adds Kicker to that. The statistics in Leipzig, with barely 1 shot on target, speak for themselves in that regard. “A historic disgrace, playing football in the second division for the first time since 1979, is imminent.”

Because Leverkusen’s season can only be saved in Europe. In the cup, the Germans already died at the end of July against Elversberg, leader in the third division. There reminds Welt would like to join the club again. “The Elversberg boys are much closer to Leverkusen today than European football. Not again in the DFB Pokal, but in a double confrontation in the second Bundesliga.” Last month Phillip Arens, Leverkusen watcher at Bild, already said in this newspaper that everything changed for Leverkusen in that inglorious cup match. “Everything has been turned around in the heads. At the moment every match is a challenge.”

That is certainly no different at the beginning of November. And yet Xabi Alonso defies the harsh criticism of his team’s poor play. “I still feel like my team is going in the right direction.” Sporting director Simon Rolfes confirmed last weekend that the trainer is not under discussion again. “We know that our situation is life-threatening. But even the coach cannot solve the problems with a snap of the finger. The turnaround is a long-term task.”

If Leverkusen wants to make something of his dramatic season, it is best to have it tonight.

Also read: Looking for the right groove: Club Brugge is going to Germany and above all has to answer a lot of question marks there (+)

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