Xabi Alonso on lifting the Bundesliga title this Saturday: “I experienced it as a player, but getting them as a coach in Leverkusen will be very special.”
Speaking to kicker, Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has spoken on what it will feel like to lift the title on Saturday.
On Saturday after Leverkusen’s home game against Augsburg, they will lift the Meisterscharle for the first time in the club’s history. On what the experience will be like lifting the shield, Alonso said: “I experienced it as a player, but getting them as a coach in Leverkusen will be very special.”
The former midfielder also took an overall look at the season to praise his team: “I am very proud of the players. They were very focused all season to experience this moment. This is very special. Of course, it’s also good for me, but I’m proud of the team, of the young players who had this chance for the first time. And hopefully, they still have a long career so that it wasn’t the last time.”
However, the game against Augsburg is not the end of the season for die Werkself, the Wednesday after will see them face Atalanta in the Europa League, while a week on Saturday they travel to Berlin to play Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal. On the mindset heading into the final three games, Alonso said: “We still have three games in the Bundesliga, Europa League and in the cup. Next Saturday we can reach a very nice destination. It would be great if we could win the championship cup without defeat…(something) that has never happened before. Then we have eleven days to go full throttle, to fight, to try everything,” he says. In the end, there are to be three titles.
Last Sunday, Leverkusen went 50 games unbeaten in the season after they beat Bochum 5-0 setting up the chance to not only go invincible in the league but across all three competitions they have played in this season.
The real challenge for Leverkusen will be next season when they not only compete in the Champions League but will have to look to improve on an already successful season.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
