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Page 1″This is magic”
Page 2Connected by hands – and love
When it was done, Mehmet shook his head, once, twice, three times. Seconds before he had gotten a shower. Beer ran down his face and dripped onto his jersey. But that wasn’t what mattered to him. He was interested in the title. A day that the people of Leverkusen will not soon forget.
Mehmet grew up in Leverkusen, he says, and liked football even as a child. And Bayer Leverkusen. He saw his club play for the championship – and fail. His club often came second. Not this time. Mehmet said: “No more runner-up. We are now German champions.”
On matchday 29 of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen won 5-0 against Werder Bremen. The champions don’t come from Munich this season, they come from Leverkusen. This is of course surprising because Bayern usually become champions, previously eleven times in a row.
For the Bayer footballers, the working day began hours earlier with a bus ride, where driving was a matter for the patient. Thousands of fans welcomed their heroes on Bismarckstrasse, where the stadium is located. It is entirely possible that the club will have to change the address. Stickers on street signs claim: Bismarckstrasse is now called Xabi-Alonso-Allee, named after the Leverkusen coach.
For some fans, the football afternoon began with a nuisance a few meters away. Because there was too much going on. A public viewing was registered on the grounds of a football hall. The rush was already big before kick-off, too big: entry was stopped. Security staff secured the entrance. One said: “There are five of us, but thousands of people want to get in here. We have to close it down first.”
1/8 Mehmet after the beer shower. © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 2/8 No more grass to see after the pitch storm in Leverkusen © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 3/8 Serious suggestion © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 4/8 Fans at the public viewing © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 5 /8 The Bayer fans had to wait that long… © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 6/8 …and they can hardly believe it. © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 7/8 Bonfire in Leverkusen. © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE 8/8 “Only SVB will become German champions, only SVB.” © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE
There was also a public viewing one kilometer away as the crow flies. There was a screen on Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and beer was being sold. That attracted people. The game had only been going on for a few minutes when the police and public order office cordoned off the street.
© ZEIT ONLINE
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Mehmet had made it here, and Lars was standing a few meters away with his girlfriend Jenny. When Victor Boniface gave Leverkusen the lead in the 25th minute, Lars hugged Jenny. Chaos all around them: people screaming. Beer bottles that fell over and sometimes shattered. Sirens in the distance.
In the 60th minute, Granit Xhaka made it 2-0. Lars’ eyes watered. Maybe he cried too. People sang: Only the SVB will become German champions, only the SVB. Pyrotechnics colored the air red and black. Then Florian Wirtz turned up the heat on the screen. He scored to make it 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0. Shortly afterwards it was over. Again: scream, of course with joy. The shattering of glass. Sirens, not so far away.
During the historic moment © Lukas Staab for ZEIT ONLINE
Lars said he had been a fan for 38 years. That he had seen Leverkusen gamble away titles more than once. That didn’t happen this time. He said: “Just awesome. There’s no way to describe how awesome it is.” Minutes later, many people headed towards the stadium. They wanted to get as close to the historical moment as possible.
When it was done, Mehmet shook his head, once, twice, three times. Seconds before he had gotten a shower. Beer ran down his face and dripped onto his jersey. But that wasn’t what mattered to him. He was interested in the title. A day that the people of Leverkusen will not soon forget.
Mehmet grew up in Leverkusen, he says, and liked football even as a child. And Bayer Leverkusen. He saw his club play for the championship – and fail. His club often came second. Not this time. Mehmet said: “No more runner-up. We are now German champions.”
