Leverkusen and its heartache pill.
Leverkusen lies nestled between the more famous German cities of Dusseldorf and Cologne. It is more of an industrial city that sits pretty on the eastern bank of the serene and meandering Rhine. Its most famous inhabitant is the Bayer, the German pharmaceutical giant. For years Bayer has been famously producing the most used pill for heart ailments, Aspirin. Bayer also sponsors the football club of the city.
This Saturday, the football fans of Bayer Leverkusen, got for themselves a pill for their longest-standing heartache. In the BayArena their team thumped Werder Bremen by five goals to win their first ever Bundesliga, with five matches to go. A Champions title they have been waiting for the last 120 years.
While many of the other leagues like the English Premier League are still close at the top, the Bundesliga thanks to Leverkusen brilliant run is done and dusted for the season
Leverkusen’s heroes continue their ways
Florian Wirtz one of their heroes of this campaign thumped in his third of the evening on the stroke of 90 minutes, and in a few minutes, the green of the pitch had been covered. The joyously dancing fans, many with tears in their eyes swarmed the pitch Red and black flags were waved with joy, red flares went up in glee and the few stewards in yellow jackets were outnumbered. But then who cared?
The players were crowded by the thousand on the pitch. The team of some young Turks and some hardened professionals had delivered a dream. The man who had driven the charge, of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern pedigree, and a Spanish legend, Xabi Alonso was spotted on the sidelines smiling.
Alonso, who might at some point, have a statue of his own was today in non-descript dark full sleeves, smiling and waving to the crowd. He was soon lost in the crowd, one which he had so emphatically relieved of its ghosts of the past.
After more than a decade, the Bundesliga has a new winner. Bayern Munich’s seemingly inexorable grip on the German football League title had finally loosened. It would be unjust to say it was just loosened. It was pulled apart as an inspired bunch of players, went on a record-breaking unbeaten run. It included a 3 goal thumping of Bayern at the BayArena. The fact that they are 16 points clear with 5 matches to go, speaks in itself. It has been a year of absolute brilliance and consistency for Leverkusen.
More can be said and will be said on another occasion about the nuances of Alonso’s technical acumen, the brilliance of Wirzt, and Victor Boniface, and the sturdiness of the likes of Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong, and Alex Grimaldo.
Leverkusen vanquishes its demons
For now, it is time to celebrate the rise of the new champions. A team that has been looking for redemption for 120 years. A long time of near misses, many seconds, and thirds along the way. A city has been reborn , a new dawn awaits the football-crazy fans. Bayer the pill maker sponsor , on its part has one less collective heartache to deal with.
As the crowd bounced, sang, and yelled, a song rang out from some sections….
“Ihr werdet nie deutscher Meister!”
A song the rival fans sing for Bayer04 as the Leverkusen club is officially called. It just meant “You will never be German champions”. A taunt that has been a long time nightmare was consigned for ever by the men in red and black. The fans have to be celebrated for their sense of the occasion and the sheer satire and irony in chanting it today.
Unrelenting, Unbeaten, and now Champions.
Bayer04 Leverkusen is quite simply the story of the year.
