One German Cup and the UEFA Cup. And that was it from Bayer Leverkusen since 1904. The defeat by Unterhaching in the last round of the 2001/2002 season appeared in their nightmares because of which they were left without the championship title, and in the same season they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final and to Schalke in the Cup final. They called them a loser club that panics in key matches, and then came to the bench Xabi Alonso. And made a merciless force that destroys everything before it.
One day, films will be made and articles written about this inexplicable season of Bayer Leverkusen, which is a phenomenon. They won the Bundesliga, played in the Europa League final and the Cup final, definitely the greatest season in the history of this club. But what impresses the most is the incredible winning mentality that the legendary Xabi instilled in them. And he had the opportunity to learn that in Real Madrid.
They don’t know about losing 49 games in a row, and what’s even more special, they saved themselves 11 times in stoppage time, as well as on Thursday night when Josip Staniši scored for Roma to make it 2-2 in the 97th minute after they were 2-0 down, took Bayer to the Europa League final and ensured the continuation of this ÄŤright streak. They never give up, play the same way and attack whether it’s the tenth or the 90th minute. Luck often favors them, but as they say, it needs to be provoked. Simply, this cannot be accidental.
Bayer Leverkusen – AS Roma |
The Croatian national team player in Leverkusen reached the potential that was predicted for him for years, but he simply did not get enough opportunities to hone it in Bayern. In the beginning, he played a little under Xabi Alonso, but as the minutes increased, Josip got better and better in all segments of the game. He was reborn under the Spanish magician and this led to him becoming one of the most important players of the team, and Bayern cannot imagine the squad for the next season without him.
Bayer Leverkusen – AS Roma |
He scored three goals, against Bayern in a great 3-0 victory and twice for a draw against Borussia Dortmund and Roma in the 97th minute! The Croatian national team has gone crazy with the fans of the “apothecary” who would prefer him to stay next season as well, which is very likely the wish of Xabi Alonso, and because of him, even the admins on social networks are delirious.
– How to say ‘Josip, I love you’ in Croatian – they asked themselves on the website of Bayer Leverkusen and mentioned the Croatian Football Association. Soon, HNS answered them, so a new announcement followed.
– I love you, Josip – he writes on Bayer’s Twitter profile.
He is loved by Xabi Alonso, adored by his teammates and fans. No one is happier than them to stay at the club next season and continue writing history…