Bayer Leverkusen Makes History, Clinching Bundesliga Title with Dominant Win Over Werder

As the clock wound down, the stands started to thin out. What began with a trickle soon turned into a flood: Bayer Leverkusen supporters streaming down the aisles, gathering behind the perimeter boards, separated from the field only by a thin line of stewards. They were waiting for their moment, the moment when they could no longer contain their anticipation.

"Ihr werdet nie deutscher Meister!" rival fans used to chant, taunting the Leverkusen faithful. "You will never be German champions!" After years of near misses, of coming close but falling short, perhaps even Leverkusen fans themselves began to believe it. But now, with the clock ticking away, there was a sense of irony as they sang those same words to themselves: a farewell to the old Bayer 04 and a welcome to the new.

At 7:20 pm on a brisk April evening, Bayer Leverkusen secured a historic 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen, clinching their first-ever Bundesliga title in their 120-year history. Amidst the pandemonium that followed the final whistle— the rushing crowds, the crimson smoke from flares, and the disappearing green of the pitch— one of the most striking sights was the multitude of grown men who remained seated, tears streaming down their faces. They couldn't quite believe that the dream was unfolding before their eyes, even as it transformed into reality.

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No longer Neverkusen. pic.twitter.com/vB9pdVJbRh

— Tom Hamilton (@tomhamiltonespn) April 14, 2024

It's challenging to imagine something that has never materialized before. Even now, with the feat accomplished, it's difficult to comprehend this remarkable Leverkusen team. They lack household names, operate on a modest budget, and carry a century of historical baggage. They're the underdog club owned by a pharmaceutical giant with an annual turnover of £41 billion.

Having played 29 matches, they've won 25 and drawn four. They've not just dethroned Bayern Munich, champions for the last 11 seasons, but utterly dominated them. They're even on track to challenge the all-time Bundesliga points record set by Bayern's treble-winning side in 2012-13. Where did this come from? Where will it lead? Perhaps trying to grasp the magnitude of their achievement must begin with a sense of sheer disbelief, with logic torn to shreds and expectations shattered.

Even as Leverkusen fans gathered in the afternoon sunshine on the road temporarily renamed Xabi-Alonso-Allee, waving their flags and flares, clutching cardboard replicas of the Bundesliga trophy, there lingered a surreal quality to the moment. The names on the replica shirts— Son Heung-Min, Michael Ballack, Kevin Volland, Bernd Schneider— harked back to a different yet more familiar era, each shirt a slice of the past, a reminder of a team that never quite reached the summit.

The scene around the BayArena, bustling with crowds three hours before kickoff, was unprecedented for regular attendees. This is quintessentially the Bayer condition: a club not only battling rivals on the pitch but also grappling with a broader sense of apathy off it. Striving for recognition, yearning to be taken seriously. Let's face it, Leverkusen isn't much of a town. It's primarily known for its colossal aspirin factory, with a football team and some boxy houses tacked onto it. Twinned with Bracknell, which feels oddly fitting. It's a place that doesn't have a distinct beginning or end; it simply dissipates into the outskirts of Cologne, a city that scarcely acknowledges its existence.

Leverkusen, largely due to Bayer's corporate backing, doesn't evoke much affection from the wider German football community. The "plastic" label continues to follow them. Hence, perhaps the most significant accomplishment of Alonso's team this season has been to create something undeniably human: a product of genuine innovation, effort, passion, and pain. Rising stars like the exceptional Florian Wirtz and the relentless Victor Boniface have had breakthrough seasons. Seasoned campaigners Robert Andrich, Álex Grimaldo, and Granit Xhaka have stretched their abilities to new heights. Sixteen different players have found the net in the league.

Amid the post-match revelry, drenched in celebratory beer, Alonso cautioned about the hurdles that lie ahead: a Europa League quarter-final to navigate, a DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern next month.

However, as the bewildered fans made their way back through the park and the fireworks illuminated the sky above the chemical plant, thoughts didn't dwell too much on the challenges ahead. A new reality was unfolding, separating past agonies from present dreams, delineating the Leverkusen of today from a Leverkusen that will never be the same again.

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