The first national title of Bayer Leverkusen in the club's history is considered a blessing for football fans by German media. After eleven consecutive championships, Bayern Munich has been dethroned. This led to a slight dig by midfielder Robert Andrich.
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Bayern Munich has been a formidable force in the Bundesliga for many years, but this season they have had to accept their defeat to a superior Bayer Leverkusen.
With five rounds to go, the team, expertly steered by the celebrated Xabi Alonso, clinched the championship with an impressive sixteen-point lead over Bayern, the perennial champions who secured the title last year only on the final matchday due to Borussia Dortmund's faltering.
The climax of this season lacked the nail-biting tension of previous years, yet it seems that apart from Bayern's loyal supporters, the rest of Germany's football enthusiasts are indifferent. Midfielder Robert Andrich captured the national mood post-match, stating, "For those of you who have only seen Bayern: there isn't just Bayern Munich, there's also Bayer Leverkusen. Now it's time for Bayer Leverkusen," playfully hinting at a shift in the footballing landscape. "Now you finally have a good German champion."
Winger Jonas Hofmann pinpointed the decisive 3-0 triumph over Bayern on February 10th as the turning point of their season. Speaking to DAZN, Hofmann shared, "That's when we felt that we could become champions. Many expected Bayern to perform when it mattered, and we defeated them. Had we lost, we would have been trailing them, and that would have stunned our team."
In a gesture of sportsmanship, Bayern Munich extended congratulations to Leverkusen on Sunday for securing their inaugural national title. Chairman Herbert Hainer acknowledged, "Leverkusen absolutely deserved the title; it's a reward for an excellent season and fantastic football," but he also issued a caution to the new champions, affirming, "Bayern's goal now is to bring the trophy back to Munich. We'll see each other next season."
Media predictions suggest Bayern will face a robust challenge from Alonso's ambitious Leverkusen next season, which has developed a hunger for success. Technical Director Simon Rolfes expressed confidence in the squad's ongoing competitiveness, highlighting, "We have a team that will compete at the top of the Bundesliga again next season. That was an important reason for Xabi to stay here, despite significant interest in him. He is in the right place here."
Aiming to build on their success, Rolfes, along with Alonso and the Leverkusen squad, are now targeting further triumphs. Rolfes remarked, "We will do everything to reach the semifinals of the Europa League on Thursday," referring to the upcoming second leg against West Ham United. With the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern also approaching, Leverkusen's already memorable season has the potential to become even more legendary.
