From ‘Neverkusen’ to title favorite: Xabi Alonso is Europe’s most wanted coach as Bayer Leverkusen runs away with Bundesliga

How Xabi Alonso transformed the fortunes of Bayer Leverkusen.

For one of Germany’s most established soccer teams, earning a nickname for your propensity to fall short at the final hurdle isn’t ideal. For Bayer Leverkusen it was the moniker ‘Neverkusen,’ notably in 2002 when a team, which included Michael Ballack, Oliver Neuville, Dimitar Berbatov, Lúcio and Zé Roberto, finished a point behind Bundesliga winner Borussia Dortmund, lost the German Cup final and the Champions League final to Real Madrid thanks to Zinedine Zidane’s wonder volley. However, after years of hurt and ridicule from opposition fans, Leverkusen’s fortunes might have finally turned, and the club’s renaissance has a lot to do with one man. Xabi Alonso was appointed the club’s head coach in October 2022, with Leverkusen languishing near the bottom of the German table. In just under 18 months, the former Spain international has guided Leverkusen to top of the Bundesliga table, wowing fans and reportedly earning himself plenty of interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. Alonso has been linked to impending managerial vacancies at two of his former teams – the Bundesliga’s second-placed Bayern Munich and Liverpool of the English Premier League. The 42-year-old began his professional playing career at Real Sociedad before moving to Liverpool in 2004 where he starred for the Merseyside club for five years, including the club’s famous 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul, before moving to Real Madrid for five more years. He ended his playing career with three trophy-filled seasons at Bayern Munich.