My 400th Post : A Milestone
My journey of blog writing has reached another milestone today. This is my 400th blog, posted on rizkhan.in, the Sports & Entertainment’s Quick Read Portal. Since the occasion is momentous I wanted to write about something momentous too. What could have been better than the amazing, difficult to believe, extra ordinary and record breaking performance of the German Football Club ‘ Bayer 04 Leverkusen ‘ I thought, and therefore my post today is dedicated to the new Bundesliga ( the premier football competition in Germany ) Champions for the Season 2023-24.
Once the Neverkusens To Bundesliga Champions
The stats are stunning. Leverkusen, last night defeated VFB Bochum 5-0, to extend their undefeated streak this season to an incredible 50 games in all competitions, creating a European record. They have surpassed the Portuguese Club Benfica which had recorded the unbeaten feat of 48 games between 1963 and 1965. Established on the 1st of July 1904 and owned by the german pharmaceutical giant Bayer, the club surprisingly had not won the Bundesliga even once in their 120 year history, despite being amongst the top clubs in German Football. They threatened to win Championships only to fizzle out in the end and were dubbed as the ‘Neverkusens’. However the season 23-24 will go down as the Golden season for Leverkusen as they not only have won the long awaited Bundesliga title, but have also made it to the Finals of the Europa League and Dfb Pokal ( a domestic football tournament )to be played later this month.
Timely Decisions
The turnaround for Leverkusen has been exceptional and worth having a peek into. 50 games undefeated is a mammoth achievement, the seeds of which were sowed in October 2022. Leverkusen in the 22-23 season were in a bit of strife and were looking down the barrel as they found themselves embarrassingly in the bottom half of the Bundesliga table. A decision had to be taken and the club management without wasting further time, appointed Xabi Alonso, just 40 then, the Manager for the Team. It was Xabi’s first assignment with a big club and though there were eyebrows raised, the decision eventually proved to be a staggering game changer for Leverkusen.
Xabi Alonso: The Player Manager
Xabi Alonso comes from a generation of Spanish Players who played in the finest Spanish Team of all times. They won the Euro Championships in 2008 and 2012 and in between won the World Cup in 2010. Xabi Alonso was an integral part of this team which dominated World Football with great elan. The football which they displayed was akin to the smooth and fluent South American Style effectively intertwined with the European stubborn defence and an enterprising midfield. Both in terms of skill and tactical acumen, this Spanish Team was phenomenal and no wonder Xabi Alonso was well and truly bred on this battlefield expertise. He is known even today as one of the best Midfielders the sport has seen.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi’s Insight
This Spanish Team in addition to the astuteness on the field had developed a winning mindset. To win became second nature to them which further reinforced their invincibility. Xabi Alonso alongwith with his sublime skills and tactical insight brought this winning attitude of his to Leverkusen, which had been such an indispensable and intrinsic part of his sporting career. From October 2022, the fortunes of Leverkusen began to change and by the end of the 22-23 season, Leverkusen( who were fearing relegation) finished at the 6th position in the Bundesliga. Of course, the advent of Swiss Captain Granit Xhaka and players like Victor Boniface and Jonas Hoffman further strengthened the Leverkusen side.
Winning : The Unshakeable Habit
The ongoing Bundesliga season which Leverkusen have already won has been nothing short of a dream run. They have left the mighty Bayern Munich way behind. They have scored 87 goals in the Bundesliga and have allowed only 23 goals to be scored against them in 33 matches in the league. A massive goal difference of 64. This goes to show that Leverkusen have not only scored freely but have also defended stoically and have in no uncertain terms made winning their unshakeable habit. In all probability Leverkusen look good to add the Europa League Title and the Dfb Pokal to their list of trophies this year.
In today’s times where competition is severe and there is always a lot at stake for Clubs and Franchises, to stay undefeated for 50 games in a row is beyond measure and speaks volumes about the Team which has persevered persevered persevered.
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