Bayer Leverkusen are vowing to attain nice issues once more this season after an unprecedented unbeaten league and cup double final marketing campaign. Leverkusen kick off the 2024-25 Bundesliga marketing campaign at native rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday. Xabi Alonso’s facet have been tipped by many to develop into the primary facet aside from Bayern Munich to win back-to-back German top-flight titles since Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in 2012. While Bayern have spent huge and Dortmund and RB Leipzig have had spectacular summers, Leverkusen ahead Nathan Tella backed his facet for an additional unbelievable season.
“There aren’t any guidelines saying we won’t do any of this. It’s simply right down to us and the way we apply ourselves within the season.”
Speaking with AFP at Leverkusen’s pre-season coaching camp within the Black Forest village of Donaueschingen, Tella stated: “There’s no motive why we won’t defend the title”.
“We’ve seen Bayern do it for therefore a few years. Why cannot we do one thing much like that?
“There’s no restrict to what we are able to obtain. Last yr, no-one believed in us and on the finish of the season we have been undefeated champions.
“Being part of this workforce, something is feasible.”
Tella’s bullish statements are a far cry from even a season in the past, when the membership was nonetheless derided as ‘Neverkusen’ for failing to win a league title regardless of 5 second-place finishes.
‘Our personal magic’
Leverkusen’s 2024-25 season began in now acquainted style.
In Saturday’s Super Cup towards final yr’s runners-up Stuttgart, striker Patrik Schick scored an 88th-minute equaliser earlier than Leverkusen received on penalties.
Much of Leverkusen’s success final season, together with their run to the Europa League closing, was arrange by late targets from a facet who didn’t know they have been overwhelmed.
Leverkusen’s summer season coaching base was on the identical venue from the place launched Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 marketing campaign only a month earlier.
Asked if Leverkusen may benefit from a little bit of La Roja’s magic this season, Tella stated his facet didn’t want any exterior help.
“No, we’ve our personal magic to be truthful. Last season, it was him,” Tella stated, pointing at Leverkusen’s midfield maestro Florian Wirtz.
Despite consideration from a few of Europe’s greatest golf equipment, Leverkusen held onto Wirtz this summer season, in addition to the rest of their squad.
Perhaps most significantly, coach Alonso has dedicated to remain on for not less than one other season regardless of curiosity from a number of of his former golf equipment together with European giants Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern.
Xhaka informed AFP success motivated Alonso’s determination to remain.
“He desires to show that we are able to do it once more. This was one thing for the gamers, that he believes on this workforce, trusts that this workforce can do the identical factor this yr as properly.
‘Evolve and enhance’
Financial benefits apart, Bayern’s lengthy dominance of the Bundesliga has been underpinned by a relentless need to get higher, even when the membership is already on the high.
Despite a barnstorming marketing campaign the place the membership broke by means of for his or her first Bundesliga title, Leverkusen weren’t resting on their laurels.
Alonso, a serial winner throughout his enjoying profession, set the tone in pre-season coaching, saying final yr’s unbelievable stage “in all probability would not be sufficient” this season.
“We have many fundamentals,” the coach stated. “We want so as to add one thing, replace it, incorporate different components. We should evolve and enhance.”
Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, who like Tella arrived in Leverkusen from England earlier than final season, was Alonso’s voice on the pitch, enjoying extra minutes than every other outfield participant final season.
“I agree with the coach as a result of if there’s one man who is aware of, it is him. If you need to enhance yr after yr, you need to enhance yr by yr,” Xhaka informed AFP.
“You must not simply take a look at the great issues, however the dangerous issues as properly.”
Tella arrived in Leverkusen after a 17-goal season as Burnley have been promoted to the Premier League.
He scored seven and assisted six as Leverkusen pursued a outstanding treble, the London-born winger profitable a Nigeria call-up within the course of.
Tella stated the membership had set their sights on enchancment.
“It’s one thing we need to aspire to. The coach stated we’re not at that stage but. That means we’ve one thing to work in direction of to enhance.
“The requirements we set final yr have been so excessive, virtually unbelievable. We need to get near it once more, if not beat these requirements.”
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