34th matchday Bayer celebrates historic title: championship trophy with the fans
The Werkself confirmed a masterful season with the win against Darmstadt. photo
© Marius Becker/dpa
That has never happened before. With the 2-1 win against FC Augsburg, Bayer Leverkusen is the first German football champion to go an entire Bundesliga season without defeat.
For a short time the championship trophy disappeared in the commotion. After decades of waiting, many fans were able to celebrate the crowning of the title with the trophy, which Bayer Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky had handed over to the supporters in the north curve in a frenzy of celebration.
The Finn quickly got the coveted piece back after the 2-1 win against FC Augsburg – and raised it a few more times.
When the bowl was no longer visible in the crowd of fans, “I was scared for a moment,” admitted goalkeeper Hradecky with a laugh: “But they all treated it with respect. They handled it better than I did with the ball.” It was “immediately clear” to him that he was giving the trophy to the fans, “they have just as much a share as the team. Maybe I’ll get a penalty from the DFL now. But maybe the club will take care of it.” When lifting the bowl, he made sure “that I lifted it the right way up and didn’t mess up anything.”
Master maker Xabi Alonso, who usually doesn’t like to be the center of attention, couldn’t escape the fans on this special day. The Spaniard allowed himself to be pulled up the fence and was then hugged hundreds of times. “It’s an important day for the club, for all of us,” he said: “But it’s also a moment to share with the fans.”
But Alonso received the best hugs after his return, when his wife and three children gave him lots of hugs on the lawn. DFB sports director Rudi Völler, who had worked at Bayer for around 25 years until 2022, also sat excitedly in the stands and rocked rhythmically to the fans’ chants.
Way to the triple? Step one of three
It was already a historic German championship for the club, the first ever. But it also became a historic title nationwide. Because Leverkusen is the first team in Bundesliga history to complete the entire season without a single defeat. It is also a special season for everyone at Leverkusen: apart from Josip Stanisic as a supplementary player with FC Bayern, no current Bayer player has ever been a German champion.
After the final whistle, the Leverkusen lawn was transformed into a party zone. The Bayer professionals jumped around on the pitch to “Looking For Freedom” by David Hasselhoff. The biggest special cheer was when we walked up to the Alonso.
The Leverkusen team had developed a real master trauma at the beginning of the millennium. In 2000 and 2002 they lost what they thought were certain titles in the season finale and were nicknamed “Vizekusen”. It has now been stripped off. “History owes Bayer another bowl,” said club boss Fernando Carro. In the finals of the Europa League on Wednesday in Dublin against Atalanta Bergamo and in the DFB Cup next Saturday against second division team 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer can crown the season with a treble.
Win against Augsburg: unbeaten in 51 games
Bayer is unbeaten in a total of 51 competitive games right from the start. With 90 points, Bayer missed Munich’s historic points record from the 2012/13 season by one point, which shouldn’t bother anyone. Victor Boniface (12th) and national player Robert Andrich (27th) had given Bayer a 2-0 lead against Augsburg, and 18-year-old Mert Kömür became the youngest on his starting eleven debut with the goal (62nd). Augsburg Bundesliga goalscorers. The Augsburg team missed the theoretical minimum chance of taking part in their second European Cup. Coach Jess Thorup, who was hired in October, has confidently secured FCA’s 14th top division season in a row.
The Leverkusen fans celebrated an almost continuous game in the stands, which they only voluntarily interrupted once for a moving moment. After 19:04 minutes, they thought for a minute of all those from the Bayer family who did not live to see the long-awaited championship.
dpa
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