Alonso honoured to win first title for Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso said it was an honour to manage Bayer Leverkusen to its first Bundesliga title after the runaway leader clinched the trophy in style with a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen.
Leverkusen was crowned German champion for the first time in its 120-year history with a dominant win which saw Florian Wirtz net a second-half hat-trick at an ecstatic BayArena.
Victor Boniface had opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Granit Xhaka doubled the lead with a long-range effort.
Wirtz then took centre stage, adding a third in the 68th minute to all but end any doubts about the result or title, before the 20-year-old completed his first senior hat-trick with two more goals in the closing stages.
Alonso, who committed his future to Leverkusen after being linked with former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich earlier this season, lauded the “special” achievement after winning his first major trophy in management.
“This success is special for everyone, for the entire club. It belongs to so many people,” the 42-year-old Spaniard said after the match.
“We have to enjoy winning this for the entire club. The first championship in 120 years. It’s an honour to be part of it and working here. Today we deserve to celebrate, with family, friends and fans.”
Leverkusen remains unbeaten during a fairytale campaign which could yet yield even more silverware.
It holds a 2-0 first-leg lead over West Ham United in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. The second leg takes place in London on Friday (AEST). It also has a DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern to look forward to next month.
“It may not be the last party of the current season,” Alonso added.
“We still have a big goal in the [UEFA] Europa League. We have a good chance to be in the semi-finals and also in the [DFB Pokal] cup, the feeling is incredible.”
Wirtz, who was mobbed by fans after the final whistle, said: “It’s indescribable. I can’t even realise it yet. I need to be in the dressing room for a while to get my head around what we’ve achieved.”
Fellow Germany international Jonas Hofmann, who joined Leverkusen last summer from Borussia Monchengladbach, added: “Everything really flows through the body. You don’t know: should you laugh? Should you cry? It’s really indescribable, I wouldn’t have dreamed of this a year ago, in the first year to do it straight away. That’s just awesome.
“We constantly pushed ourselves to the limit every game, no matter who was playing. We were always there, always present.
“This season you can see that everyone is needed so that the level doesn’t [drop] off. Then you’ll be able to play like that in three competitions. The coach is setting a brutal example of that.”
Leverkusen’s success ends Bayern Munich’s 11-year reign as German champion, with Borussia Dortmund in 2012 previously the most recent team to deny it top spot.
Bayern, which is currently 16 points behind Leverkusen after a disappointing season, was quick to applaud the new title winner.
“Congratulations to Bayer Leverkusen on a historic first Bundesliga title in the club’s history,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said.
“The title goes absolutely deservedly to Leverkusen – it’s the reward for an outstanding season and great football.
Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen added: “They’ve had a flawless season so far, the team have demonstrated courage, class and above all consistency, and that’s why they deserve to be 2024 German champions.”
