Okegoal.com - Xabi Alonso managed to lead Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga championship undefeated. Alonso matches the records of the great coaches in Europe.
Last week, Leverkusen welcomed FC Augsburg on Saturday evening (May 18, 2024). Leverkusen won the game, which was played at the BayArena, 2-1.
The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Victor Boniface and Robert Andrich before being reduced by Mert Komur in the second half. This result ensures that Leverkusen finishes the season undefeated.
Leverkusen achieved 28 wins and six draws from 34 games. A total of 89 goals were scored and only 24 were conceded! Leverkusen was the first team in Germany to achieve this.
This is an extraordinary achievement for Alonso, considering that not many coaches can achieve this. In the modern era of football, only Arsène Wenger was at Arsenal in 2003/2004 and Antonio Conte at Juventus in 2011/2012.
He is the eighth coach since ancient times to achieve this. The first was Preston North End, who went without a coach in the 1888/1889 season, then Fred Petland at Athletic Bilbao in the 1929/1930 season and Lippo Hertzka at Real Madrid in the 1931/1932 season.
Two more come from Italy: Ilario Castagner, who won the championship with Perugia in 1978/1979 and was the only one not to win, and Fabio Capello, who played with AC Milan in 1991/1992.
Alonso was also the first coach from Spain to achieve this in Europe’s top five leagues and he has the most wins with 28.
“Our season was exceptional, not only in Germany but also in Europe,” Alonso said, according to the AP.
“We remember Arsenal in the 2003/2004 season, unbeaten in the Premier League, and Juventus in the Italian League in 2011/2012. That’s why we feel worthy to be part of European football history.”
