Xabi Alonso claimed that the “hurt” of failing to win a treble with Bayer Leverkusen will motivate him to strive for more success in 2024-25.
Since winning the German Cup in 1993, Bayer Leverkusen have often found themselves on the brink of glory but have struggled to get over the line.
Even the moniker ‘Neverkusen’ was born from these repeated disappointments, underscoring the club’s struggle to secure major trophies despite coming tantalisingly close on numerous occasions.
The 2023-24 season, however, saw Leverkusen break free from this cycle of near misses.
After an unbeaten run of 29 games in the league, Leverkusen ended their 31-year trophy drought by clinching their first-ever Bundesliga title.
Despite the euphoria of their league triumph, there was little time for Leverkusen to rest on their laurels.
The possibility of a treble loomed large, with two critical finals on the horizon: in the Europa League against Atalanta and the German Cup against Kaiserslautern.
However, the dream of a perfect season was shattered in the Europa League final as a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman dashed Leverkusen’s hopes, handing the Italian club their second major trophy in its 116-year history.
But they completed the domestic double courtesy of a Granit Xhaka strike in the DFB-Pokal final.
A Bitter Pill
The Europa League loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Alonso and his players, who had come so close to achieving an unprecedented feat.
Nonetheless, the manager claimed that the setback had only made him stronger.
“It’s football. To deal with the defeat it’s part of our job,” he told CNN.
“It’s not the first time, [and] it’s not going to be the last time.
“I’m pretty sure I have the intuition that that game [against Atalanta] will make me a better coach, a better manager than if we would have won the treble.
“For sure, those games you don’t forget, and you can use them in the future.
“At the moment, it hurts.
“It hurts so much.
“But I have that feeling that it will be more useful for my development than winning the treble.”
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As Leverkusen prepare for the 2024-25 season, the lessons learned from this year’s near-miss will undoubtedly fuel their ambitions.
Alonso’s tenure has already seen the club achieve historic milestones, and the determination to build on this foundation is evident.
The players, staff, and fans alike will be looking forward to seeing how the team evolves under Alonso’s leadership, driven by the collective experience of a season that brought them so close to immortality.
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