Leverkusen breathe a sigh of relief.
The head coach and ace are staying put. On March 23 (KST), Spain’s Relevo reported that Leverkusen ace Florian Wirz will continue to play for the club next season.
Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, has been one of the hottest teams in the world this season. After clinching their first Bundesliga title in 120 years, since their founding in 1904, Leverkusen finished with 28 wins and six draws (90 points) to become the first team in Bundesliga history to win the title unbeaten. No other team has ever won the Bundesliga unbeaten.
An unbeaten title is a rare feat in Europe’s five biggest leagues. Since the introduction of more than 30 games per team per season, only three teams have won a league title without losing a single game – AC Milan in the Italian Serie A in 1991-1992 (22 wins and 12 draws), Arsenal in the English Premier League (EPL) in 2003-2004, and Juventus in the Serie A in 2011-2012 (23 wins and 15 draws) – and Leverkusen became the fourth team to do so this season.
Leverkusen was founded on July 7, 1904, 안전놀이터 추천 by workers from the pharmaceutical company Bayer. The club was nicknamed “Nekerkusen” after finishing as runners-up five times (1996-1997, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2010-2011), but this season they put that nickname to rest.
Although they lost to Atalanta in the Europa League final, ending their unbeaten run at 51 games, Leverkusen’s season was far from unbeatable.
Unsurprisingly, Leverkusen’s players have been in demand across Europe.
The hottest item on the market was Alonso. During his playing days, Alonso was a top midfielder who played for Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He was also a standout for the Spanish national team, earning 114 caps (16 goals). After retirement, he turned to coaching. In 2019, he took charge of Real Sociedad’s B team. After showing early promise, Alonso was approached by a number of clubs, and in October 2022, he took over at Leverkusen. He quickly turned around a struggling Leverkusen side and showed off his skills. He led the team to sixth place in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Europa League.
He really exploded this season. European big clubs have been lining up for Alonso, who has shown remarkable leadership skills in his short coaching career. Liverpool, who parted ways with Jürgen Klopp, and Bayern Munich, who parted ways with Thomas Tuchel, were among the clubs that made aggressive offers, but Alonso ultimately chose to stay. “Leverkusen is the right place for me to develop as a coach,” Alonso said, “I have a good feeling as a young coach. My work here is not finished yet,” he emphasized.
Wirz also stays.
Wirz is Leverkusen’s franchise star and ace. He has 18 goals and 20 assists in 47 games this season. It’s a remarkable performance for a player who suffered a meniscus injury last season. His skills are reminiscent of Andres Iniesta, and he has the goalscoring ability to match.
Real Madrid, the club that brought Toni Kroos out of retirement, has made a bid for Birz. Real Madrid, who are undergoing a major rebuilding process, are looking to add Wirz to a backline that includes Jude Bellingham, Edouard Kamabinga, Aurelio Chouameni, and Federico Valverde. However, Wirz’s decision to stay put was a bitter pill to swallow.
But there was no giving up. 카지노사이트 추천 Real Madrid will continue their recruitment drive with the aim of signing him in the summer of 2025, according to Relevo. It would be a huge deal, with an estimated transfer fee of over €100 million.